Ben Simmons: From Rookie of the Year to Free Agent Decline

There was a time when Ben Simmons looked like the surest thing in basketball. The No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft glided past defenders, threaded no‑look passes, and drew comparisons to LeBron James before he’d played a regular‑season game. Now at 29, he’s an unsigned free agent with no team for the 2025‑26 season, his career stalled by back injuries and a public fallout.

Draft: 2016, 1st overall (Philadelphia 76ers) · Height/Weight: 6 ft 10 in / 240 lb · Pos: Point Guard · Career Stats: 13.1 PPG · 7.4 RPG · 7.2 APG · Status: Unrestricted Free Agent (2025)

A look at eight of the most telling data points about Simmons’s career — from physical measurements to draft position to production averages — shows a player whose raw tools never translated into consistent availability.

What Has Happened to Ben Simmons?

How did Ben Simmons’s career start?

• Simmons was drafted 1st overall by the Philadelphia 76ers on June 23, 2016, after a single season at LSU (Wikipedia).
• A foot injury cost him his entire rookie season, but he returned in 2017-18 and won Rookie of the Year, averaging 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 8.2 assists (StatMuse).
• By 2020 he had made three All-Star teams, earned All-NBA Third Team honors, and been named to the All-Defensive First Team twice (Yahoo Sports).

The implication: Simmons reached elite status faster than almost any point guard his size. At 6-10 with guard skills, he had no positional precedent in the modern NBA.

What led to his decline?

• In the 2021 playoffs, Simmons passed up an open dunk against the Atlanta Hawks in Game 7 — a moment that became a symbol of his reluctance to shoot (Yahoo Sports).
• He requested a trade in September 2021 and held out of training camp, refusing to play for the 76ers again (Yahoo Sports).
• In February 2022 he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets as part of the James Harden deal but did not play that season, citing a back injury and mental health recovery (The Ringer).

What is his current status?

• Simmons was waived by the Brooklyn Nets on February 8, 2025, and the remainder of his contract was bought out (Forbes).
• He then played an ineffective stint with the Los Angeles Clippers before the season ended (Yahoo Sports).
• As of late 2025, Simmons remains an unrestricted free agent with no team commitment (Yahoo Sports).

Did LeBron James Unfollow Ben Simmons?

When did LeBron unfollow Simmons?

• Fans reported in 2024 that LeBron James had unfollowed Simmons on Instagram (Yahoo Sports).
• No official statement from either party has confirmed the reason or the exact timing.

What does this mean for Simmons’s reputation?

• Unfollowing on social media is a low-signal event, but when it involves LeBron James — a player Simmons was once compared to — it feeds a broader narrative of isolation (The Ringer).
• The coincidence with Simmons’s ongoing struggles — missed games, trade demands, back surgeries — made the unfollow a symbolic headline.

Is there any known reason?

Neither LeBron nor Simmons has addressed the unfollow publicly. Without confirmation, the event remains in the realm of social-media speculation. The pattern: when a player’s stock drops, small signals get amplified.

Is Ben Simmons a Free Agent?

What is the status of Ben Simmons’s contract?

• Simmons signed a 5-year, $177 million rookie max extension with the 76ers in 2019 (Forbes).
• After trades to Brooklyn and then the Clippers, his contract expired after the 2024-25 season (Forbes).
• He became an unrestricted free agent in July 2025 (Forbes).

What teams might sign him?

• Forbes suggested in June 2025 that a contender could take a flyer on Simmons at the veteran minimum, a fraction of his max deal (Forbes).
• As of late 2025, no team has signed him, and the Ringer noted there is a “good chance fans had seen the last of him in the league” (The Ringer).

What are his future options?

• In December 2025, Simmons changed representation, re-signing with Rich Paul and Klutch Sports (Hoops Rumors).
• He is training twice a day, six days a week, working toward a return (Hoops Rumors).
• Simmons told Hoops Rumors he hopes to return “maybe halfway through the season or next season,” depending on progress (Hoops Rumors).

The trade-off: Simmons has the desire and the work ethic to return, but the market has spoken. Teams are not interested until he proves he can stay healthy and contribute — and that proof requires a contract first.

What Did Shaquille O’Neal Say About Ben Simmons?

When did Shaq criticize Simmons?

• Shaquille O’Neal criticized Simmons and Rudy Gobert on an episode of The Big Podcast, questioning their toughness and effort (Yahoo Sports).

What specifically did Shaq say?

• Shaq argued that both players lacked the mental toughness required to perform at an elite level under pressure (Yahoo Sports).
• The criticism echoed a wider narrative: Simmons has the physical tools but not the competitive fire.

How did Simmons respond?

• Simmons has not publicly responded to Shaq’s comments as of this writing.
• His silence is consistent with a broader pattern of avoiding public back-and-forth with critics.

The implication: Even legends are watching Simmons’s fall, and their words can be as damaging as the injuries themselves.

What Are Ben Simmons’s Career Statistics and Personal Details?

What are Ben Simmons’s average stats per game?

Over 383 regular-season games, Simmons has averaged 13.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.2 assists while shooting 55.8% from the field (StatMuse). The numbers are those of a productive starting point guard — but they hide a steep drop in availability and production after 2021.

How tall is he and what is his weight?

• Height: 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) · Weight: 240 lb (109 kg) (Yahoo Sports).
• His size at point guard is his defining physical advantage — and the reason teams drafted him No. 1 despite shooting concerns.

What college did he attend?

• Simmons played one season at Louisiana State University (LSU) in 2015-2016, averaging 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists (StatMuse).

What is his net worth?

• Simmons has earned an estimated $60-80 million in career NBA salary and endorsements (Forbes).
• His $177 million max extension means he was paid elite money for years while producing — and missing — at a fraction of that value.

The catch: Simmons earned generational wealth during his prime years. But the 2021-22 season alone cost the Nets $33 million in salary for zero games played.

What this timeline shows is a career that accelerated quickly, then stalled and reversed faster than almost any recent No. 1 pick.

These perspectives, from the player himself to a Hall of Famer to league observers, paint a portrait of a talent that never fully aligned with its potential.

What This Means for Ben Simmons and the NBA

Ben Simmons is not the first No. 1 pick to flame out, but his trajectory is unusual: he reached genuine stardom, then voluntarily stopped shooting, then stopped playing, then stopped being wanted. The factors — a catastrophic loss of confidence, two back surgeries, public fallout with a franchise, and a league that moves on fast — compound into a career that may already be over. For Simmons, the choice is clear: prove he can stay on the court, or become a cautionary tale about what happens when talent meets circumstance without resilience.

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