Former Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons is back in the headlines as he eyes an NBA return, with the Golden State Warriors potentially in position to take a risk following his career collapse.
The Warriors signing Simmons would undoubtedly bring mixed reviews among the fanbase, but it does have the potential to finally solve the biggest frustration surrounding head coach Steve Kerr in recent years.
Ben Simmons move can eliminate Warriors' three or four-guard lineups
Golden State once revolutionized the game with their small-ball style over a decade ago, yet that's now becoming more a curse than a blessing in a league where a combination of size and skill is once again taking over.
It's left immense frustration over Kerr and the Warriors' inability to adapt, with the team regularly putting out three or four-guard lineups while also playing a 6'6" Draymond Green at center regularly toward the end of his career.
Simmons was once one of the league's brightest young stars because he entered as a 6'10" guard. His ability to handle the ball and be a playmaker at that size was mesmerizing, particularly in transition before defenses could get set. Combine that with elite and versatile defense, and you can see why he was a 3x All-Star who earned MVP votes five years ago.
Simmons might not be that player anymore, but his ability to handle the ball and facilitate can still eliminate the need for having three or four players on the floor who stand at 6'3" or below, and which put Golden State at an immediate disadvantage as a result.
Ben Simmons still presents fit issues with the Warriors
The biggest knock on Simmons is clearly his complete inability to develop an outside shot, while his career really collapsed once he was devoid of confidence and didn't look to even score the ball at all -- he averaged 5.0 points in 22 minutes across 51 combined games with the Brooklyn Nets and L.A. Clippers during the 2024-25 season.
Many will be asking how the Warriors could have Simmons in addition to Green and the recently signed Gary Payton II? The simple answer is that if Simmons has regained some of his athleticism as has been reported by ESPN's Marc J. Spears, and if he can rediscover some of his old magic, he's clearly just a better rotation option than a 33-year-old Payton.
As for Green, Golden State could just have he and Simmons playing the same role across 48 minutes without overlapping the two. You probably don't want Green playing more than 25 minutes per game during the regular season at this point of his career anyway, leaving a window for Simmons to play at least 20 minutes if he's good enough and until Jimmy Butler returns from injury.
There's certainly stylistic issues and there's no guarantee Simmons is even playable and a rotation-worthy player on a good team anymore, but it is worth the gamble based on where the Warriors are currently at entering next season.
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