So far gone are the days when he was considered to be at the top of his game, free agent point guard Ben Simmons undoubtedly isn’t where he wants to be in his NBA career. All the same, on the heels of a report stating that he’s considering retirement, the 29-year-old doesn’t appear ready to hang up his jersey after all.
Ben Simmons Has 1-Word Response To Retirement Rumors
On Instagram, user brandoncisneros48 commented on a picture of Simmons and asked: “is bro retired?”
Ben Simmons says he is NOT retiring pic.twitter.com/vqIiGMQ4La
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) September 15, 2025
The former first overall pick swiftly, and succinctly, responded: “no”
With that, Simmons has quieted one of the major questions about where he stands right now. Usually, players don’t retire from the game of basketball in their 20s. However, back problems have ended players careers prematurely before. The most well-known example may be Hall of Fame forward Larry Bird. Though Bird dominated the NBA for 13 seasons, winning three MVP awards and three titles, he was unable to play past 35 due to chronic back pain.
Simmons hasn’t reached nearly the heights that Bird has, nor has he played as long. Credited with seven years of NBA service, his most noteworthy accomplishments are three All-Star appearances, two All-Defensive selections, one All-NBA selection and the 2018 Rookie of the Year award. Furthermore, he frankly hasn’t displayed the same killer instinct as Bird, though he does deserve credit for the mental toughness it takes to battle through waves of injuries and criticism. Nevertheless, there’s assuredly overlap in the issues that prevented them from being their best self.
As a result, there remains the chance that Simmons retires early, even if it won’t be today.
Who Could Sign Him?
Simmons does still hold value to teams, particularly contenders. That’s why he’s been contacted by several since reaching a buyout with the Brooklyn Nets before the 2025 NBA Playoffs. This offseason, his primary suitors have seemingly been the New York Knicks, Sacramento Kings and Boston Celtics.
However, with the Knicks signing Malcolm Brogdon over the weekend, they appear to have moved on from the picky playmaker. The Kings could still be an option, though they sound captivated by the idea of signing Russell Westbrook. Thus, Boston may be his most feasible destination.
Though Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has built his offense around the 3-ball that Simmons shies away from, he’s a jumbo-sized playmaker that helps them replace what they’re losing from Jayson Tatum until his return and an exceptional point-of-attack defender that can supplant the traded Jrue Holiday. He could even take on some of the situational defensive responsibilities of Al Horford, who’s widely expected to sign with the Golden State Warriors. A hybrid big man at 6-foot-9 and 240 pounds, Horford has a rather useful blend of size, fluidity, agility and defensive mastery.
Just based on his skillset, he could be a dark horse candidate to join the Atlanta Hawks. For starters, the Hawks don’t have a firm backup for Trae Young. That long-time issue has just been exacerbated by them trading 2023 No. 15 pick Kobe Bufkin to the Brooklyn Nets. Additionally, Atlanta has multiple stretch-centers, minimizing the spacing concerns that would come with Simmons’s addition.
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