According to NBA Insider Marc Stein, the Boston Celtics are amongst the teams interested in former All-NBA forward Ben Simmons.
“League sources say that the Suns have also had some recent dialogue with former All-Star Ben Simmons, who I'm told has drawn interest since free agency began from Boston, New York and Sacramento,” Stein wrote in a recent edition of his The Stein Line.
Celtics fans likely aren’t moved by the team’s connection to Simmons. In the North End, the 2016 No. 1 overall pick has never been thought of as great, even during the height of his career with the Philadelphia 76ers. His most memorable moment against Boston as a Sixer was his one-point performance in Game 2 of the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals, which produced the famous, “Shoot a three, coward” photo.
League-wide, he’s remembered for his refusal to take three-pointers and his absolute meltdown in the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals, which he capped off by passing out of an open dunk over Trae Young in Game 7.
Since that series, the point-forward’s game has taken a serious step back. Once an athletically gifted two-way threat, poised for great things in the league, Simmons has dealt with many injuries and hasn’t been able to perform at the same level.
Now, he remains a free agent who will likely ink a low-value contract, which makes him a great fit for the Celtics.
Why would the Celtics target Ben Simmons?
Boston has absolutely no money to spend, yet a roster that would benefit if they spent to add talent. Simmons, as much of an enigma that he is, has the skills to be an impactful role player in the right situation.
Perhaps the right situation would be as a center, which the Celtics are in dire need of. As of today, July 21, Boston’s big man rotation consists of Neemias Queta, Xavier Tillman Sr., Luka Garza, and Amari Williams. If Simmons were to sign with the Cs, there would be an avenue for him to fit into the lineup immediately.
The three-time All-Star has been a strong rebounder throughout his career, averaging 6.2 per game even in his three years with the Brooklyn Nets. He also plays with a high IQ and has great vision, which are skills experts rave about when it comes to the center spot.
Simmons wouldn’t be a perfect solution to Boston’s big man problem, though. He’s still undersized for the position and hasn’t been very effective offensively in recent years. He shot just 52% from the field last season with the Nets and LA Clippers, despite only taking shots at or around the rim.
At the very least, Simmons would be a low-risk, medium-to-high reward player for the Celtics to take a chance on. The only issue is that they’d have to clear a roster spot to make the move even possible. There are easy ways for Boston to do so, with JD Davision and Jordan Walsh’s contracts being non-guaranteed for next season.
The question is whether or not the Celtics think they'd be able to fix Simmons.