Ben Simmons has been a previous trade target for the Golden State Warriors, and most recently a potential free agent option as well, but it now seems as if the NBA future of the 3x All-Star may be on the brink of being over.
According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post earlier in the week, Simmons is weighing up whether to continue playing in the NBA at all as he continues to search for a new home after finishing last season with the L.A. Clippers.
The prospects of that may have risen by a major move from Jimmy Butler's agent Bernie Lee, having recently made known his decision to remove Simmons as a client according to NBA insider Marc Stein.
Ben Simmons might find himself out of the NBA altogether
Lee obviously played a big part in Butler's move to the Warriors in February and the 6x All-Star's subsequent two-year, $111 million contract extension, but the idea of an agent voluntarily parting ways with a player is quite extraordinary.
While Simmons has faced an astonishing fall from grace over recent years, having him dumped from the league entirely by the age of 29 is still shocking to think about. Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer clarified the situation a little on Friday, suggesting that Simmons would find it difficult to accept that he's now a veteran minimum-level player in the league.
Simmons was a rising star in the league when he signed a five-year, $177.2 million contract off his rookie deal. Even when things went completely south at the Philadelphia 76ers following the 2021 NBA playoffs, the former No. 1 overall pick still had value on that massive contract.
To put that into context, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported in July 2021 that the Warriors rejected an offer from the 76ers of Simmons for Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman and four first-round picks.
Clearly Golden State hung up straight away on that one, but they were frequently mentioned as a suitor for Simmons before he was eventually traded to the Brooklyn Nets in a blockbuster deal that sent James Harden to Philadelphia.
The Warriors have also been seen as a possible destination for Simmons this offseason, with Brett Siegel of Clutch Points linking the 6'10" point forward with a move to the Bay earlier in free agency.
However, there's been no major recent reports to suggest that will be forthcoming once Jonathan Kuminga's future is resolved, potentially leaving Simmons out in the dark and completely out of the NBA.