Ben Simmons signs with Clippers after Nets buyout
02/08/2025 01:52 PM
Ben Simmons intends to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers once he clears waivers following a buyout agreement with the Brooklyn Nets earlier on Saturday, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The move positions Simmons to join a Clippers team seeking additional depth as it pushes for playoff positioning in the Western Conference.
Simmons was in the final year of his contract making $40.3 million. The 28-year-old guard enters a new chapter in his career after spending the past three seasons in Brooklyn, where injuries and inconsistent play limited his impact.
Ben Simmons to sign with Clippers after Nets buyout
This season, Simmons is averaging 6.2 points, 6.9 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game while shooting 54.7% from the field and a career-high 69.2% from the free-throw line across 33 games. Since arriving in Brooklyn as part of the 2022 trade that sent James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers, he played in just 90 games, averaging 6.5 points, 6.3 assists, and 6.2 rebounds per contest. Injuries and inconsistent availability limited his impact with the Nets, preventing him from reclaiming the form that once made him a three-time All-Star. Despite those setbacks, he has shown flashes of his playmaking and defensive versatility when healthy.
While Simmons is no longer performing at the All-Star level he once displayed in Philadelphia, he remains a 6-foot-10 playmaker capable of contributing on both ends of the floor. His expected addition provides the Clippers, who currently hold a 28-23 record, with another ball-handler and defensive presence as they look to regain momentum in the Western Conference. Los Angeles has dropped three straight games and now sits seventh in the West, most recently falling 119-112 to the Indiana Pacers on Thursday after surrendering a 22-point lead.
Before deciding on the Clippers, Simmons reportedly drew interest from multiple teams, including the Cleveland Cavaliers (42-10) and Houston Rockets (32-19), both of whom monitored his availability in the buyout market. However, the Clippers acted quickly to secure the veteran guard, who will join the team once he clears waivers.
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