According to Ryen Russillo of The Ringer, Ben Simmons already knows where he will be playing next. The host of an eponymously named podcast recently welcomed rapper Freddie Gibbs on the show.
In an episode filled with explicit language, when Simmons' name came up in their conversation, Russillo conveyed, "He's in Boston now." The comment caught Gibbs and the basketball world off guard.
Russillo then doubled down when the rapper, with a surprised look on his face, responded by asking, "He in Boston?"
"Yeah," confirmed the host.
Russillo may be joking, but in that case, one would think he would have explicitly clarified that. He may be mistaken or misinformed. Perhaps, there's momentum towards a deal between Ben Simmons and the Boston Celtics, but he ends up elsewhere.
While there's nothing out there confirming that the three-time All-Star is joining the C's, Russillo is a credible enough source for one to buy into this.
He covered the team as a television studio analyst for what, at the time, was Comcast Sportsnet New England. It is now known as NBC Sports Boston. Before The Ringer, he worked for ESPN. He has touted his relationships with high-ranking members of NBA organizations. Surely, that also applies to agents who are a part of the basketball industry.
So, while his statement may prove inaccurate, it's not as if it came from a faceless account on X.
Should the Celtics take a chance on Ben Simmons?
It's hard to believe that there's a redemption arc in Ben Simmons' on-court future. Last season with the Los Angeles Clippers told a story that was painful to watch and in line with the story of his career.
The six-foot-10 point-forward would dart up the floor in transition. However, immediately upon crossing half court, he nervously looked to give the ball up. It didn't have to lead to anything productive; it just had to get out of his hands.
That led to his playoff minutes shrinking as the Clippers phased him out of their rotation during their first-round loss to the Denver Nuggets.
At 29 years old, with seven years of NBA experience, it is challenging to believe his next chapter will play out much differently.
That said, he represents a low-risk, high-reward option in free agency. The payoff will probably be more modest than that if there is one. However, entering a projected gap year, the Celtics are incentivized to take big swings, especially at a low cost.
That's why they have reportedly shown interest in signing Simmons. The two-time All-Defensive team selection could be a Swiss army knife for Joe Mazzulla at that end of the floor. He could factor into the center rotation, helping prop up Boston's most glaring position of need.
Offensively, inserting him into a role resembling Luke Kornet's. The Celtics would rely less on him as a lob threat on rolls to the rim, but they could tap into utilizing him as a dynamic option as a screener.
On dribble handoffs, Simmons is also a threat to keep the ball and bolt to the basket. Perhaps Boston could even utilize the gravity from defenders sagging off him. That could lead to teammates getting open shots as they come off of Simmons' screens. He could also potentially become a valuable connector and secondary playmaker in those situations.
Even if the Celtics sign him and it doesn't work out, whether they move on from him during the season or next summer, they can wipe their hands of it and walk away, facing no real consequences for this experiment failing.
If it works, then while Simmons will have raised his value on the open market, he'll have a strong incentive to remain in the infrastructure that helped him salvage his career.