There have been rumors connecting Ben Simmons to the Celtics dating back to the 2016 NBA Draft, when Simmons was taken first by Philadelphia and Jaylen Brown went third to Boston. Simmons’ career as a Sixer was tumultuous, to say the least, but he did show his All-NBA and All-Defense potential.
Things went off the rails in the 2021 playoffs, and his career never recovered, but still, there were always whispers about the Celtics giving Simmons another chance and seeing if they could channel the size and skills that made him such an exciting player early in his career.
Simmons signs one-year deal with Sacramento Kings
Now, Simmons has been out of the league for over a year, but the talks around him still never died down. And sure enough, he is getting another chance, as it was announced on Friday that he’s signing a one-year, $3.5 million deal to join the Sacramento Kings. Other teams with higher ambitions were in the mix, like the Warriors and even the Knicks, but ultimately, Sacramento feels like a perfect landing spot.
Simmons can go in and play for a team with zero expectations that’s in the midst of a full rebuild. The national spotlight will be far away, and the games will be about as low-pressure as they possibly could be for the NBA. That’s exactly what Simmons needs: low-stakes repetitions to get back to the basics and try to revive his career.
And that’s precisely why it never would have worked out in Boston. If Simmons joined the Celtics, there would have been a massive target on his back from day one. He’d be joining a huge rival of the 76ers, an iconic, legacy franchise, and a team that’s in the mix to contend for titles every season.
Beyond that, the basketball fit would just be awkward. Simmons never developed a shot, and Boston doesn't need a tentative offensive player who won't attack the rim or shoot threes. At best, he'd be taking the ball out of the hands of better players, and at worst, he'd become an unplayable liability on that end.
Celtics would have been awful fit for Simmons
The Celtics are constantly in the spotlight, and this year, after trading away one of their biggest stars, Jaylen Brown, to those very Sixers, there is going to be a microscope on this team to see how they respond. Fair or not, bringing in Simmons would have led to him being hailed as a “replacement” of sorts for JB, and he’d suffer all the added pressure that comes along with that.
The Celtics faced scrutiny for the trade, and they are going to have to prove themselves this season. It’s going to take an extremely motivated and connected group, and while I believe the team is up to the task, adding a player as volatile and polarizing as Simmons would have been a massive distraction.
Sure, there’s a world where he comes in on a minimum contract and is able to re-find his game, offer some playmaking and elite defense, and add great value. But at this point, that feels like a massive gamble, and sadly, not one I’d be willing to take. I’m sure the front office considered it, as they do with almost every available free agent, but on this one, the cons seriously outweigh the pros. Let Simmons try to rehab his game and image somewhere far away from Boston.
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