Ben Simmons has been labelled the biggest disappointment the NBA has seen this century.
The 29-year-old is sitting on the NBA scrap heap without a home with suggestions he is facing a premature end to his career.
Now the most brutal call of all has been made with leading NBA commentator Bill Simmons ranking him ahead of every other draft bust over the past 25 years.
The former No. 1 draft pick’s career unravelled spectacularly fast after his infamous breakdown against the Atlanta Hawks during the 2021 NBA playoffs.
Bill Simmons is the latest to bemoan what could have been for the three-time All-Star.
“I made a list of the guys I was most disappointed by … I think my number one most disappointing guy of the last 25 years is Ben Simmons,” he said on the Bill Simmons podcast.
“Because I think he was there (at the top) for like a year and a half.
“It was like I see the vision of Ben Simmons. I think he can be one of the 10 best guys in the league. It’s right there. You kind of look like LeBron (James) sometimes when you have a head of steam downhill and defensively you might be one of the three best guys in the league and you are a foundation block of a team that could maybe win a title.
“And then in that Atlanta series, it just went sideways and I’m disappointed by it.
“He was third team All-NBA.”
Simmons, who was named on the NBA All-Defensive first team in 2020 and 2021, signed a five-year max contract extension with the 76ers in 2019 and it seemed the sky was the limit.
With Joel Embiid and Simmons on the floor together, Philadelphia made three consecutive Eastern Conference semi-finals.
That fateful Atlanta series was the final act.
Fast forward to November, 2025, Simmons is a liability too risky for a single NBA team to take a gamble on.
Sacramento and the New York Knicks reportedly showed some interest in signing Simmons with an offer of a veteran minimum deal. Simmons reportedly knocked back the offers, holding out for a better deal. He might not get another one.
He remains an unsigned free agent after being bought out by the Brooklyn Nets before the 2025 in-season trade deadline and signing with the Los Angeles Clippers.
He played 18 games for the Clippers before being released.
In a career with many celebrated highlights, it is a lowlight that Simmons’ career — at least right now — will be remembered for.
His decision to dish off to teammate Matisse Thybulle in the final quarter in Game 7 of the Sixers’ series loss to the Hawks painted a picture of a player “gone in the head”.
He finished one of the biggest games of his career with four field goals attempted for the entire match.
With the dust settling on the playoffs elimination, Sixers coach Doc Rivers was asked if he believed Simmons could ever be a championship-winning point guard.
His response blew up “The Project” on the spot.
“I don’t know the answer to that right now,” he says.
Three days later, Simmons’ powerful agent starts working away to get him out of Philly and it ends with one of the biggest trades this century, a player swap between Brooklyn and the Sixers, with James Harden going the other way.
Between back injuries, surgeries and mental health leave, Simmons missed 189 out of a potential 246 games over three seasons when traded to Brooklyn.
Despite all this, there are plenty who believe Simmons is not done yet.
His former coach Steve Nash last month told The Herald Sun: “I’m sure he doesn’t want it to end. I don’t think it’s over.
“He’s an incredible talent. I know his back injury had an impact on him, so it’s tough to see him go.
“Maybe he’ll get a team … the hope is he finds a chance.’’
In Philadelphia, Simmons was a three-time NBA All-Star (2019–2021); All-NBA Third Team (2020); two-time NBA All-Defensive First Team (2020, 2021); NBA Rookie of the Year (2018); NBA All-Rookie First Team (2018); and NBA steals leader (2020).
Simmons has earned more than AUD $310M (USD $203M) in his nine-year career.
Simmons has never played for the Boomers.
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