A former No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft has found a new home in Los Angeles.
The L.A. Clippers are expected to sign three-time All Star Ben Simmons as a free agent when he clears waivers, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Simmons, 28, will be heading to his third team in nine seasons as a pro. He was drafted as the top pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Australian-born 6-foot-10 point guard was touted as a generational prospect, but hasn’t lived up to the lofty expectations placed upon him after his one college season at LSU. Simmons was off to a great start, being named an All Star in three-straight seasons after his Rookie of the Year campaign.
He was regarded as one of the greatest defensive players in the league, but never put together a solid offensive game. After missing the entire 2021-2022 season with a back injury, Simmons was traded to the Brooklyn Nets as part of the deal that landed his now-teammate James Harden in Philadelphia.
In two-and-a-half seasons as a Net, Simmons played just 90 of a possible 246 games. He averaged 6.5 points per game during that span.
The Nets bought out his contract this week, after the NBA’s trade deadline came and went.
He’ll now join a Clippers squad where he won’t have to play as a starter, and will be able to play alongside a cast of shotmakers like Harden and Norman Powell.
The terms of his deal weren’t immediately clear as of late Saturday morning.
