Celtics Urged to Sign Former All-Star in Major Free Agent Move

Could Ben Simmons become a member of the Boston Celtics?

Brian Robb of MassLive.com and notable Celtics pundit Chris Forsberg recently held this discussion on a recent episode of Celtics Talk Podcast.

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No — this isn't Ben Simmons, the son of famed Boston sports guy Bill Simmons who periodically appears on his father's podcast. This is the Ben Simmons that at one time was one of the better young players in the NBA.

The Celtics are reportedly interested in signing Ben Simmons, per @TheSteinLine

Say what you want about his shooting, but the Celtics could use more frontcourt depth

If they clear up a roster spot for him, it would be a low-risk, high-reward move pic.twitter.com/qcikT82Xlv
— Celtics Lead (@CelticsLead) July 21, 2025

The former No. 1 overall pick has bounced around the league over the last handful of seasons. Only 29 years of age, could he end up in Beantown? Robb broke down all angles in relation to the current Boston roster and where Simmons could conceivably fit.

"I think you look at it two different ways,. One, you look at what they've done this offseason of being like 'OK, we need to find the next diamond in the rough. We got (Luka) Garza. We got (Josh) Minott. (Hugo) Gonzalez had a solid Summer League. But there's still just a big void for where (Jayson) Tatum's minutes would have been this year. And Simmons does a lot — obviously doesn't do anything nearly as well as Tatum does — but (he) does some of it. He at least has size and can rebound and can pass."

If one squints, there is a world where Simmons is somewhat of a like-for-like compared to Tatum from an intangibles standpoint. Both are 6-feet-10, with plus-athleticism and a knack for passing the basketball, rebounding the basketball, defending, and pushing tempo.

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One would operate under that premise if Simmons was playing with full health and ideal confidence. Even then, Tatum's scoring ability far surpasses the best version of what Simmons has shown to date.

Boston, Phoenix, New York, and Sacramento have shown interest in Ben Simmons, per @TheSteinLine

“League sources say that the Suns have also had some recent dialogue with former All-Star Ben Simmons, who I'm told has drawn interest since free agency began from Boston, New York… pic.twitter.com/UgNz0LYyKJ
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 21, 2025

He last played for the Clippers where he averaged 2.9 PPG in 18 appearances. The three-time All-Star has not averaged in double-figures since the 2020-21 season when playing for the Philadelphia 76ers.

There still could be some juice to extract from Simmons' game, so to speak. He's in the middle of his prime and managed to stay relatively healthy last season. In a low-pressure situation without much in the way of expectations, coupled with a strong culture in place, Simmons may be able to work his way back into being an impact rotation player with the Celtics.

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