The Los Angeles Clippers have officially signed Ben Simmons, who reached a buyout with the Brooklyn Nets and became a free agent shortly after the NBA trade deadline. L.A.’s little brother franchise reportedly beat out the Cleveland Cavaliers for Simmons’ services. The Houston Rockets were mentioned as a potential suitor for the former No. 1 pick as well.
Details Of Ben Simmons’s Contract With Clippers
In the Clippers’ press release, the details of Simmons’s contract with the team weren’t revealed. However, The Athletic’s Law Murray reports that he’ll be on a prorated veteran’s minimum contract for the remainder of the season, which will pay him about $1.1 million. On Tuesday, Simmons is expected to practice with the team for the first time.
Officially official from LAC. Ben Simmons should be at practice tomorrow.
Simmons will be on a veterans minimum for rest of the season
Simmons will count $775,000 against cap, will make about $1.1 million pic.twitter.com/HfHPpyVjjq
— Law Murray 🔄 (@LawMurrayTheNU) February 10, 2025
Interestingly, there are a number of happenstances with Simmons deciding to join the Clippers.
The most discussed is the fact that he and starting point guard James Harden were traded for one another in Feb. 2022. At the time, Harden was looking to move on from the Nets, the team that he landed with when he requested that the Houston Rockets trade him in 2020. Simmons was looking to do the same with the Philadelphia 76ers, whom Harden played even fewer games for in the regular season.
Harden is now in his second season with Los Angeles. Simmons may hope to extend his partnership with the Clippers as well.
Welcome to #ClipperNation, Ben Simmons! pic.twitter.com/5t3w4kUqaH
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) February 10, 2025
With that being said, money usually talks in the summertime.
As oft-injured Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball was recently offered a two-year, $20 million extension, Simmons could hope to land a similar deal this offseason. If so, there are multiple franchises that’ll have the cap space to sign him. The non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception, which was valued at $12.8 million annually in 2024-25, is another route for interested teams.
Closing The Gap
Simmons will most certainly put his best foot forward in Los Angeles. There aren’t just millions on the line, but absolution.
Because of his back injuries, it’s difficult to say whether he’ll be able to play at an All-Star level again. When watching him play, his movement doesn’t seem restricted. However, those who watched him in his All-Star years know that he was not only more aggressive but explosive.
With that being said, he’s still an intelligent playmaker with an innate passing feel at the offensive end. He’s still versatile, focused, and instinctive at the defensive end. Really, if this is who Simmons is now, he’s similar to Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green.
There are definitely differences between the two. However, what separates them the most at this point is postseason success. Given that Green will likely be in the Hall of Fame one day, Simmons working to close that gap could do wonders for his current reputation, especially as it relates to the playoffs.
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