Ben Simmons is ready to do the dirty work

The Clippers did nothing drastic during one of the most eventful trade deadlines in NBA history, but they made some moves around the margins. The key addition at the deadline was Bogdan Bogdanovic, who will come over from Atlanta and immediately provide a high-volume scorer off the bench.

They made the tough decision to move on from Terance Mann, a quality role player LA had developed for six years, and Kevin Porter Jr., who was averaging 9.3 points and 3.2 assists a night in his first year with the team.

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Bogdanovic is a more established spark plug than Mann and Porter, who has twice finished inside the top-six in Sixth Man of the Year voting. He is undoubtedly a solid addition to the roster, but the Clippers’ most interesting move came after the deadline.

The newest free agent on the market, Ben Simmons, signed a deal with LA after having his contract bought out by the Brooklyn Nets. Simmons’ All-Star-level career has been derailed by injuries for much of the last four years, and he joins the team with a massive chip on his shoulder.

“Making the decision to come here, I felt wanted, and that is something you want to feel when you go to work. You also want to compete at a high level, and these guys have been competing at a high level,” said Simmons.

The former number-one overall pick was the 2018 Rookie of the Year, a three-time All-Star, and a second-place finisher in Defensive Player of the Year voting, all before the age of 25. Since then, he has played in 90 out of a potential 298 games and is only averaging 6.5 points when he is on the floor.

Simmons has received a lot of criticism from the media and NBA fans. He has not lived up to his early career hype, and his work ethic has been questioned based on his lack of time on the court and his inability to develop a consistent jump shot.

“It is always good to get a fresh start. Start over, and do not worry about where you have been or what you have done in the past. You get to a new place where you are welcomed, and guys are pulling for you. That is the most important thing,” said Ty Lue on Simmons’ arrival.

Most of his struggles are primarily due to injury. When a player cannot stay healthy, it is impossible to stay in a rhythm, and the Nets were never title contenders during his time there, which likely prolonged his recoveries.

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— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) February 12, 2025

Simmons is still a well above-average NBA facilitator and defender. Even in limited action, he was averaging nearly seven assists this season, and his physical tools make him a nightmare to go up against on the defensive end. His versatility makes him a player Lue and the coaching staff can experiment with playing him at multiple positions on both sides of the ball.

“Just how unique his game is and how we can incorporate him into our offense and defense. He can push the pass when he rebounds the basketball, and he is an unbelievable passer; you can put him at the elbow, use him in transition, and then when he is playing with the first unit when Zu is out, he can play the five,” said Lue.

Simmons is one of the highest-upside players ever to hit the buyout market and the most intriguing since Russell Westbrook signed with the Clippers two years ago. There are many similarities between the two moves. Westbrook was a future Hall of Fame player facing criticism for his play with the Lakers. With the Clippers, he rebuilt his reputation and resurrected his career.

Westbrook flourished in a role where he was not asked to do as much. No longer his MVP-level self, he reinvented his game, emerging as a high-energy Swiss Army knife off the bench, something Simmons is fully capable of doing.

For the first time in his career, not much is expected from Simmons, just like when Westbrook joined the team. In Philadelphia, he was viewed as a franchise player who, alongside Joel Embiid, would deliver a championship to the city. In Brooklyn, he was the player they traded James Harden for, making over $30 million a year.

Now, he can simply play a role on an already established team.

“I see the floor; I want to get my guys going, get them easy buckets, and control the pace. On the defensive end, I want to be a dog. I want to be able to get stops and put that pressure on the ball,” said Simmons.

He was drafted as a point guard but is sometimes listed as a forward. At 6’10”, he can also play the center position. Although his shooting is limited, he makes up for it in all the other areas of the game. Simmons can run the second team as the primary ball handler, come in as the center in a small ball lineup, or sub in as a defender to get a key stop at any point in the game.

Everything might not go exactly as planned, but his addition to the team is well worth the risk.