By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Former NBA first overall lottery pick Ben Simmons just found a new home after agreeing to a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers announced on February 8, 2025.
Hours after the 2025 NBA Trade Deadline came to an end, the Brooklyn Nets made a buzzer-beating move after engaging in a contract buyout with Simmons.
Under his remaining contract term, Simmons is set to receive $40 million in the final year of his contract with the Nets but the Clippers made an offer that would land the floor general in the Western Conference.
According to multiple sources, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Houston Rockets also expressed their interest in signing Simmons but his final destination will be at Los Angeles.
Simmons is currently having an inconsistent season in the NBA after only playing 33 games with the Nets. He averaged 6.2 points, 6.9 assists, and 5.2 rebounds in 25 minutes of playing time.
This is his third consecutive year where he is only averaging single digits on the offensive end after a dominant start with the Philadelphia 76ers seven years ago.
In his first four years with Philadelphia, the hybrid point guard averaged 16 points, seven rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game, a wide disparity in his statistics since joining the Nets in the 2022-2023 NBA season.
Simmons will now be with a playoff-contending team and will move to the Western Conference for the first time in his seven-year NBA career.
He will team up with James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Norman Powell, and Ivica Zubac. The Clippers are fresh off a one-sided victory over the Utah Jazz, 130-110, without Simmons playing.