Ben Simmons' career has been plagued by injuries and setbacks, some caused by his own attitude. The former first-round pick from Australia and three-time All-Star has been in the league since 2016. At the same time, it hasn't exactly been the most active run for him.
He missed what was supposed to be his rookie season in 2016-2017 due to an injury sustained before the season even started. When he got rolling in 2018-2019, Simmons was named Rookie of the Year and was an All-Star for the following three seasons.
Then came Simmons' acrimonious time with the Sixers that ended with him holding out for a season until they traded him. After that, Simmons spent three seasons with the Nets. Injuries sidelined him for all but 90 of his games with the team, which cost the Nets $124 million.
Simmons may be on the Kings' radar
The Nets bought out the rest of his contract and waived Simmons. He spent the last few weeks of the 2024-2025 season on a veteran minimum contract with the Clippers and is now a free agent. Much like Russell Westbrook, there have been rumors of the Kings' interest in him during the offseason.
If it comes down to a choice between Westbrook and Simmons, Russell is the way to go. Yes, he's getting close to retirement, but he's also still got some gas left in the tank. Westbrook also doesn't have Simmons' history of season-ending injuries or not playing for an entire season if he's unhappy.
At the very least, Westbrook will show up and do the work, something Simmons hasn't really been known for almost ten years into his career. Ultimately, neither player will turn the current incarnation of the Kings into contenders, but Westbrook is still the better choice. It's not a hard choice.