Ben Simmons

L.A. Notes: Leonard, Lue, Morris, Hayes

March 10th, 2025 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers‘ prospects for an automatic playoff spot — or at least a better position in the play-in tournament — improved dramatically on one Kawhi Leonard shot Sunday night, writes Law Murray of The Athletic. Trailing by a point in overtime, Leonard held the ball for 15 seconds before making a move. He dribbled eight times, then launched his shot over a collapsing Kings defense. It bounced off the back of the rim and fell through the net to give the Clippers a 111-110 victory.

“Read the defense, got to a spot on the floor and was able to get a shot off,” said Leonard, who topped 40 minutes for the first time this season. “I wanted to play. I’m kind of capped on the minutes — 36 is a lot of minutes. But it was just about me just wanting to finish that game. They told me they were going to sit me for a minute and bring me back. So just itching to get back in and didn’t want to sit.”

It was the third straight victory for the Clippers, who are eighth in the West at 35-29, one game back of Golden State for the sixth spot. L.A. has rebounded from a 1-6 stretch immediately after the All-Star break and appears to be surging ahead of four upcoming games against sub-.500 opponents. The Clippers have now clinched the head-to-head tie-breaker against the Kings, who trail their division rivals by a game and a half at 33-30.

Although Norman Powell and Ben Simmons remained out for Sunday’s game, league sources tell Murray that they’re both making progress. Powell, who is sidelined with patellar tendinopathy in his left knee, will be reevaluated following a three-game road trip. Simmons, who is also dealing with a knee issue, may play during the trip.

There’s more on the two Los Angeles teams:

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue had to miss Sunday’s game due to back pain, according to an Associated Press report. Lue didn’t give any indication during his pregame media session that he wouldn’t be able to coach, and the team didn’t provide any other details. Assistant Brian Shaw replaced Lue for the night.
Markieff Morris has barely played since rejoining the Lakers last month, but he’s finding other ways to contribute, notes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. The veteran forward has taken on a leadership role and was instrumental in helping Dalton Knecht regain his confidence after his trade to Charlotte was rescinded. “I missed (Morris),” LeBron James said. “… We’ve been in the foxhole together. We’ve been on the floor during big games together. And there’s someone whose opinion I value very much when I come off the floor. He’s watching it. He’s seeing it. I’m just happy to have him back. It’s great to see him.”
The Lakers will be without their entire starting front line for tonight’s game at Brooklyn. Center Jaxson Hayes has been ruled out on the team’s official injury report due to a contusion on his right knee. He joins James, who’s recovering from a groin injury he suffered Saturday night, and Rui Hachimura, who remains sidelined with patellar tendinopathy in his left knee.

L.A. Notes: Doncic, Goodwin, Leonard, Bogdanovic

February 23rd, 2025 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

After a bumpy start to his Lakers career, Luka Doncic looked more like himself in Saturday night’s win at Denver, writes Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Beyond his 16-point first quarter outburst and the familiar stat line of 32 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and four steals that he put up in the battle of two of the West’s top teams, Doncic was more animated than he has been at any time since being traded.

“He was super dialed in,” LeBron James said. “He was very locked in on what he wanted to do out here on the floor tonight. Once he started hitting those step-back threes and got to yelling and barking, either at the fans or at us or himself. … He was just dialed in on what he wanted to do and how he wanted to execute his game plan individually.”

Coach J.J. Redick told Doncic before the game that he wanted to see “at least one blackout episode” where Doncic screams “at no one in particular.” Along with his unique talents, that fiery competitiveness is what has made Doncic one of the best players in the world. Doncic handled the ball more often on Saturday, Buha notes, repeatedly targeting Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic in the pick-and-roll. Redick added that the plan moving forward will be to keep the ball in Doncic’s hands as much as possible.

“I think Luka needs to be the guy that controls the offense,” Redick said. “And (James) and (Austin Reaves), because we’re gonna stagger everybody, they’re gonna have their times to be on the ball. But all three of those guys are very intelligent basketball players, and we can create mismatches. We can get teams in the blender.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

Jordan Goodwin has been productive since signing a two-way contract with the Lakers earlier this month, and Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report suggests they may want to convert him to a standard deal by the end of the season to make him eligible for the playoffs (Twitter link). L.A. would have to open a roster spot first, with Pincus pointing to Cam Reddish as the most likely player to be released. Goodwin can be on the active roster for up to 19 games after signing on February 7, so the Lakers have some time to make a decision.
The Clippers added Kawhi Leonard to their injury report for today’s game at Indiana with soreness in his left foot, marking his first new injury of the season, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic. Leonard and Norman Powell are both listed as questionable, while Ben Simmons is expected to play today and sit out Monday’s contest at Detroit, according to Murray.
Simmons has quickly developed a chemistry with Bogdan Bogdanovic even though they’re both new to the Clippers and haven’t played together before, Murray adds (Twitter link). Bogdanovic said building the on-court relationship was easy because of their respective talents. “We are basketball players at the end of the day, so we just play,” he said. “It’s tough when you’re joining a new team, definitely tough because you have to learn plays, you have to learn tendencies of the guys, but we are both new so that’s kind of making the job a little bit easier.”

Clippers Notes: Post-Deadline Expectations, Powell, Rotation, Zubac

February 22nd, 2025 at 9:37am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Clippers retooled their rotation at the deadline, bringing in Bogdan Bogdanovic, Drew Eubanks, Patty Mills and MarJon Beauchamp via trade while also adding Ben Simmons from the buyout market. With the new-look roster comes rejuvenated expectations for the stretch run of the season, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register.

“It’s good for us to start over, I think offensively,” head coach Tyronn Lue said. “[We need to] just to get better and do the things we need to do that’s necessary to win games. Just be better at executing what we’re trying to do. It’s going to take a little bit of time as far as rotations and how we play guys together and things like that. But from a basketball standpoint, I’m kind of excited about it.”

Bogdanovic and Simmons in particular have logged big minutes since arriving in Los Angeles, while Eubanks is also expected to play a modest role. Both Bogdanovic and Simmons have been effective off the bench. Simmons reportedly was deciding between the Clippers and the Cavaliers as he negotiated a buyout agreement with Brooklyn, ending up with Los Angeles in a sizable role.

“I’m excited man, I mean Ben brings a skill set that we don’t have other than myself, his passing ability and his speed pushing the ball in the offense to get guys involved,” teammate James Harden said.

The arrival of five new players isn’t the only reason the Clippers are operating under a renewed identity. Star Kawhi Leonard returned from an offseason knee injury and only topped the 30-minute mark for the first time on Feb. 6, Carr notes.

“I think every team needs to, wants to come out the All-Star break and be playing with [a high intensity],” Harden said. “If we want to get to where we want to go, the time is now. We added some shooting, we added some defense and obviously with a healthy Kawhi we’ve got a chance to compete with anybody. So, I think for us, it’s just finding out how we want to play and attacking it.”

We have more on the Clippers:

Guard Norman Powell was added to the Clippers’ injury report on Thursday with left knee soreness and went on to miss the contest against Milwaukee (Twitter links via ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk and The Athletic’s Law Murray). It marked Powell’s 10th missed game of the season. The Most Improved Player candidate will have to play at least 20 of the team’s remaining 27 contests to qualify for award consideration.
The absence of Powell and the ongoing integration of the newcomers had Lue searching for the right combination in the rotation on Thursday, Murray writes. Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. are cycling in and out of the starting lineup while Amir Coffey earned a starting nod on Thursday in Powell’s place. Additionally, Murray opines that the team will need to optimize lineups involving Simmons. Lineups featuring both Simmons and Ivica Zubac struggled against Milwaukee.
In the same story, Murray notes that Zubac has been less involved in the fourth quarter than in the rest of the game as of late. The Clippers’ starting center didn’t attempt a field goal in the fourth against the Bucks, the fifth time in six games that’s occurred. Zubac said he’s “trying to figure it out” when it comes to his role in the offense in the fourth.

Pacific Notes: Simmons, Bamba, Lakers, Tucker, Suns, Fultz

February 15th, 2025 at 2:45pm CST by Luke Adams

As we detailed on Friday, Ben Simmons‘ debut with the Clippers on Thursday went about as well as it reasonably could have, earning him praise from head coach Tyronn Lue.

Lue wasn’t the only one impressed by the former No. 1 overall pick, who registered 12 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and three steals in his first game for his new team. Simmons’ Clippers teammates spoke after the game about the immediate impact he made on the court, per Law Murray of The Athletic.

“It’s easy to play basketball with smart players,” forward Nicolas Batum said. “That’s why he was the No. 1 pick, that’s why he was an All-Star in the NBA, because he’s a unique player, a very good basketball player. He just needs the right system, the right person to get his confidence back. And I’ve been there. I’ve been in his shoes five years ago. I think he came to the right spot to get it.”

While Batum was never an All-Star like Simmons, his stock was at an all-time low when he joined the Clippers in 2020 due to the perception that he was overpaid on his previous contract, a five-year, $120MM deal with Charlotte. Batum has rebuilt his value in recent years, primarily due to his strong play with the Clippers, and there’s optimism that Simmons can do the same.

“He did everything we asked him to do: Rebound, defend, push the ball in transition, create for others, attack the rim,” center Ivica Zubac said after Thursday’s win over Utah. “When they doubled James (Harden), he was really good flashing in the middle and play-making from there. It was great, man. It was all that we expected and more. I think he played great, and I think he’s going to be huge for us.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

If Alex Len had gone through with his initial plan to join the Pacers rather than pivoting to the Lakers, free agent big man Mohamed Bamba likely would’ve been a top target for Los Angeles, Jake Fischer said on a Bleacher Report live stream on Thursday (YouTube link). “I heard this from multiple sources,” Fischer said. “That if Alex Len did go forward and sign with the Pacers, Mo Bamba would have been very prominently considered by the Lakers to fill a spot in that depleted center rotation.” Bamba remains available in free agency for now.
During that same Bleacher Report live stream, Fischer suggested that the Suns are one team to watch for P.J. Tucker if the veteran forward is bought out by the Raptors, which is expected to happen. Tucker has played in Phoenix before, was coached by Mike Budenholzer in Milwaukee, and is a Texas alum like Suns star Kevin Durant. Still, Fischer is skeptical that the 39-year-old Tucker will draw significant interest on the buyout market or play a major role for a playoff team this spring.
Injuries have limited Markelle Fultz‘s availability and slowed his development since he entered the NBA as the No. 1 overall pick in 2017, but the Kings‘ newest addition said this week that his health isn’t a concern right now, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. “This is the best I’ve ever felt since being in the league,” Fultz told Anderson. “I never had the opportunity to take my time and get healthy, so being able to do that last summer has been great for me. I’m super excited for this opportunity and I’m thankful for it.”

Sixers Notes: Grimes, Maxey, Butler, Simmons

February 14th, 2025 at 5:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers‘ pre-deadline trades of Caleb Martin, KJ Martin, and Reggie Jackson were all essentially salary dumps aimed at saving money and creating financial flexibility, but the team appears to have gotten a quality role player back in at least one of those deals, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Quentin Grimes, acquired from Dallas in the Caleb Martin trade, has averaged 32.8 minutes per night in his first four outings as a Sixer and entered the starting lineup on Wednesday in Brooklyn in the club’s last game before the All-Star break. As a first-time starter for his new team, Grimes poured in a season-high 30 points on 10-of-18 shooting, with nine rebounds, four assists, and a pair of steals.

Grimes, who will be eligible for restricted free agency during the 2025 offseason, admitted he’s surprised that head coach Nick Nurse has leaned on him so heavily in his first week in Philadelphia.

“I feel like you’ve got to build that trust,” Grimes said. “(But) I kind of feel like we got a good feel for each other pretty early. I respected him for what he did with Toronto when I played for him my first couple of seasons. He got a chip there. So he knows what he’s talking about. So I definitely feel very good about our relationship already just after the four games.

“… With Nick, he’s done a great job of helping me just not worrying about anything. Go out and play hard and everything will take care of itself.”

We have more on the Sixers:

Both Joel Embiid and Paul George have endured disappointing, injury-plagued seasons in 2024/25, raising concerns about their health and effectiveness going forward. However, as Jared Weiss of The Athletic details, the third member of the Sixers’ “big three” has been as good as ever. Tyrese Maxey is averaging a career-high 27.6 points per game and is cementing his place as a long-term cornerstone in Philadelphia, Weiss writes, regardless of what the future may hold for Embiid and George.
Jared Butler‘s new two-year, minimum-salary contract includes a team option for the 2025/26 season, reports Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.com (Twitter link). That means if they want to retain Butler beyond this season, the Sixers would have the ability to either pick up that option or decline it in order to negotiate a longer-term deal with the 24-year-old. It’s worth noting that if the option is turned down, Butler would be an unrestricted free agent (not restricted), since he’ll have four years of NBA service under his belt.
Within a discussion about Ben Simmons during a Bleacher Report live stream (YouTube link), Jake Fischer suggested that the Sixers may have had some interest in reuniting with their former No. 1 overall pick when he reached the buyout market last week. “I think Philadelphia sniffed around on Ben Simmons too,” Fischer said (hat tip to RealGM). “I really do.” Given how acrimonious Simmons’ final year in Philadelphia was, I can’t imagine either side would have been eager to sign up for another go-round, even if the 76ers did kick the tires on the idea. Simmons ended up joining the Clippers after being bought out by Brooklyn.

Mavericks Notes: Irving, Kidd, Davis, Simmons

February 14th, 2025 at 3:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Faced with a fan backlash following last week’s Luka Doncic trade and dealing with a series of injuries that have decimated their frontcourt, the Mavericks could have gone into a tailspin heading into the All-Star break.

Instead, Dallas has won four of its past five games, including a shorthanded home victory over Miami on Thursday that saw the club run out a starting five of Spencer Dinwiddie, Dante Exum, Max Christie, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, and Kessler Edwards. All five players scored in double figures, as Exum led the way with 27 points on 11-of-13 shooting.

“No one is pouting. Everyone is playing,” head coach Jason Kidd said after Thursday’s win, per Christian Clark of The Athletic. “Big win before the break. Now we can rest, regroup and get ready for the second half.”

Kyrie Irving had to sit out Thursday’s game – the second of a back-to-back set – due to a right shoulder injury, but he has been playing through a back issue and is averaging a team-high 36.6 minutes per game on the season. His resiliency and leadership has trickled down to the rest of the roster, Clark writes.

“He sets a standard,” Edwards said. “If he sees any of us slacking, he holds us to that. He also has a great personality. It’s light in the locker room around him, so it’s great.”

Here’s more on the Mavs:

The Mavericks and Kidd won’t be fined for the head coach’s decision to skip Monday’s post-game press conference, according to NBA insider Marc Stein, who notes (via Twitter) that the league typically responds to first-time violations of that rule with a warning rather than handing out a fine.
The Mavericks haven’t issued a formal update on Anthony Davis‘ projected recovery timetable from an adductor strain since he was injured in his first game with his new team on Saturday. As Stein writes in a story for his Substack, the lack of a publicly shared timeline is thought to be by design, with the hope being that Davis can take a non-surgical treatment path to recovery. As he reported earlier this week, Stein says there’s optimism that surgery can be avoided, but cautions that it hasn’t been entirely ruled out at this point.
Within that same Substack story, Stein reports that the Mavericks would have had interest in entering the bidding for Ben Simmons on the buyout market, but their hard-cap restrictions prevented them from emerging as a serious suitor. The prorated veteran’s minimum deal that Simmons got from the Clippers carries a cap hit of approximately $756K, whereas Dallas is only operating about $171K below its first-apron hard cap.

Pacific Notes: Butler, Simmons, Bogdanovic, Ellis

February 14th, 2025 at 8:03am CST by Arthur Hill

Draymond Green called new teammate Jimmy Butler a “franchise changer” after the Warriors withstood a late Rockets rally in Thursday’s win at Houston, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Golden State, which led by as many as 24 points, was only ahead by four when Butler returned to the game with 4:42 remaining. He helped lead a 9-2 run that gave the Warriors a much-needed win heading into the All-Star break.

“He’s a franchise changer,” Green said. “He’s done that everywhere he’s gone and he is helping revitalize what we got here. The belief amongst this team, now that he’s arrived, as opposed to what it was before he got here, it’s night and day.”

Butler was the team’s major addition at last week’s trade deadline after a long search to find another scorer to take some of the burden off Stephen Curry. He contributed 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists on Thursday, as Golden State is now 3-1 in the four games he has played and looks ready to move up the standings after the break ends.

“Jimmy, he’s a real deal,” coach Steve Kerr said. “I mean, just a complete basketball player, methodical, under control all the time, plays at his own pace, never turns it over, sees the game and then can get to the line frequently. Great closer, not in the traditional sense where he’s going to be Kevin Durant and make four straight mid-range jumpers, but it’s more of a complete game. Get to the line, make the right pass, get somebody else an open look, get a defensive stop, get a rebound. He’s a fantastic player.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Ben Simmons had an impressive debut with the Clippers in Thursday’s win at Utah, delivering 12 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals in 27 minutes off the bench. Coach Tyronn Lue praised the former All-Star for fitting in quickly in his first game with his new team, relays Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter video link). “I thought he did a great job, just reading the game, his IQ, making the right play, aggressive to the basket,” Lue said.
Bogdan Bogdanovic, who was acquired in a trade with Atlanta, made his Clippers debut on Wednesday, per Anthony DeLeon of The Orange County Register. The veteran shooter described the experience as “a new journey” and said he’s excited to play alongside Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.
Keon Ellis has played an important role in the Kings‘ recent surge, notes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. The third-year guard scored 27 points off the bench in Wednesday’s win over New Orleans.

Pacific Notes: Durant, Lakers, Clippers, Harden, Simmons

February 12th, 2025 at 7:52am CST by Luke Adams

Facing Memphis on Tuesday, Suns forward Kevin Durant became the eighth player in NBA history to surpass the 30,000-point threshold over the course of his career. He entered the game with 26 points to go and accomplished the feat late in the third quarter, finishing the night with 34 points.

Durant joined LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki, and Wilt Chamberlain in the exclusive 30,000-point club.

“A true honor to be in the same category as those players who helped shaped the game and push the game forward,” he said after the game, a loss that dropped the Suns below .500 (link via ESPN.com). “That’s always been my goal, to get the most out of myself every day and the most out of my career.”

Nowitzki, who ranks sixth on the league’s all-time scoring list with 31,560 points, told Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic that he’s fully expecting Durant to bump him down to seventh sooner or later.

“He’s 36 now…and he’s got, what, 1,500 more (points) to go,” Nowitzki said. “That’s obviously a season for him and he looks great, he moves great. I still see him on the perimeter crossing guys over, he’s got that slow cross, going to the basket. He doesn’t seem like he’s lost a step. I think he’s going to play at least a couple more years. I do think he’s going to catch me, but well deserved. Like I said, to me, he’s one of the purest scorers of all time.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Ranking all 30 NBA teams based on their moves at the trade deadline, John Hollinger of The Athletic places the Lakers atop his list due to their acquisition of Luka Doncic. After trading for Doncic, there was “literally no other move” the Lakers could have made on Thursday that would have moved them out of the top spot, Hollinger writes. That includes their decision to rescind a deal for Mark Williams, which Hollinger actually views as a “dodged bullet,” since he thinks there could be more appealing targets on the trade market for L.A. this summer.
Hollinger also places the Clippers at No. 3 on his trade deadline rankings and lauds them for their work last week, which included moving off bad contracts, getting out of the luxury tax, and coming out ahead in terms of draft picks.
James Harden‘s numbers in 2024/25, including 21.3 points per game on 39.5% shooting, are the worst of any of his All-Star seasons, but the impact his leadership has had on the Clippers has made it a special season for the former MVP, writes Law Murray of The Athletic. “The way he’s leading us this year, on and off the court, the way he’s setting everyone up, it’s incredible,” center Ivica Zubac said. “One of the best teammates ever. I think every player in the league would love to play with him.”
Ben Simmons, signed by the Clippers off the buyout market, is looking forward to a fresh start, telling reporters on Tuesday that he feels “wanted” in Los Angeles, according to Anthony De Leon of The L.A. Times. “I just want to compete, regardless of all the bulls–t said online,” Simmons said, noting that the Clippers view him as a point guard, which is his preferred position. “I’m here to do that, and playing alongside some of these great players … Everyone’s just going to push each other to be better and expect greatness.”

New York Notes: Anunoby, Knicks Lineup, Mitchell, Towns, Johnson, Simmons

February 10th, 2025 at 10:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks could get one of their starters back in the lineup on Tuesday. Forward OG Anunoby is listed as questionable to play against Indiana (Twitter link via New York Basketball). Anunoby has missed the last three games due to a right foot sprain suffered during a non-contact play on Feb. 1.

The fact that Anunoby’s status was upgraded came as somewhat of a surprise, since ESPN’s Shams Charania reported over the weekend that the three-and-D standout was expected to return after the All-Star Game. Of course, the upgrade in his status doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll return on Tuesday.

We have more on the New York teams:

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau went with a smaller lineup in the second half against Boston on Saturday, inserting guard Miles McBride in place of forward/center Precious Achiuwa, the New York Post’s Peter Botte notes. New York did rally from a 13-point deficit to cut the Celtics’ lead to three, but Boston then took command and won by 27. “That was part of the reason why we put Deuce in the second half just to get the shooting, because of the help that was coming from the back side, just to try and open it up for [Karl-Anthony Towns] a little bit more,” Thibodeau said.
On the flip side, the Knicks might go with a big lineup once center Mitchell Robinson finally returns to action, Botte reports. Towns could move to power forward once Robinson, who’s hopeful of suiting up by March 1, settles in. Towns is excited at that prospect. “Just a tall lineup, and it’s gonna be exciting to kind of explore that lineup,” Towns said. “It should give me … I have some familiarity with it with Rudy (Gobert), so it’ll be something that I’ll tap into that kind of potential well.”
Cameron Johnson was prominently mentioned as a trade candidate for months but ultimately the Nets wound up retaining him. He can breathe easier until the offseason. “At least there’s gonna be a little cushion, where it’s gonna calm down and then, who knows? Maybe it picks up again,” Johnson said, per Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily.com. “But I just can’t give my energy towards that, I gotta focus on what we’re doing here.” Johnson has been dealing with trade chatter since the Nets-Knicks Mikal Bridges blockbuster last offseason. “It was just different, it was a completely different experience for me,” he says. “I think that the rumors have been moving quickly since Mikal got traded, and maybe even before then. Every time my agent called me over the summer, it’s like, ‘Oh, is something going down? I don’t know.’”
Ben Simmons gave back $1,082,061 in his buyout agreement with the Nets, Hoops Rumors has confirmed, which is the exact amount he’ll earn on his new minimum-salary deal with the Clippers. NetsDaily first reported (via Twitter) that Simmons was giving up a prorated portion of the veteran’s minimum.

Clippers Sign Ben Simmons

February 10th, 2025 at 5:55pm CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 10: The Clippers have officially signed Simmons, according to a team press release.

FEBRUARY 8: After agreeing to a buyout with the Nets, Ben Simmons has reached a deal to sign with the Clippers, league sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Los Angeles was one of three teams rumored to be in the mix for Simmons, who will become an unrestricted free agent on Monday after being officially waived by Brooklyn on Saturday. Cleveland and Houston were among the other clubs said to have interest in the former No. 1 overall pick.

Simmons’ career got off to an impressive start in Philadelphia, where he earned 2018 Rookie of the Year honors, made three All-Star teams, and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2021. However, he had a falling out with the team that resulted in a lengthy holdout and a trade to Brooklyn.

Simmons, who has also dealt with a series of back issues that required multiple surgeries in recent years, has been limited to just 90 total games since being dealt to the Nets at the 2022 deadline. He averaged 6.5 points, 6.3 assists, and 6.2 rebounds in 25.4 minutes per contest across those 90 appearances.

While Simmons’ extremely limited shooting ability make him a tricky piece to incorporate alongside other non-shooters, he’s still a talented play-maker, defender, and rebounder who should have more significantly value as a low-cost addition on the buyout market than he did on his previous maximum-salary contract.

After making a series of moves ahead of the trade deadline, L.A. entered the day with an open roster spot and $1.9MM in breathing room below the luxury tax line, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).

The Clippers still have a portion of their mid-level exception available and could use it to pay Simmons more than the prorated veteran’s minimum, but it’s unclear whether they’ll do so. Either way, it seems safe to assume they won’t cross the tax line as a result of signing Simmons.

As a result of their trade deadline machinations, the Clippers sent out guards Terance Mann, Kevin Porter, and Bones Hyland, so Simmons and fellow newcomer Bogdan Bogdanovic should have an opportunity to earn regular minutes in the backcourt. Given his unique skill set, Simmons could also serve as a de facto big man in certain lineups.

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