Ben Simmons is expected to participate without restrictions in Australia’s player-led men’s national team minicamp beginning Monday in Melbourne, and NBA teams have shown interest. Several clubs have expressed interest in Simmons, including one Western Conference team that offered him a training camp invitation.
Simmons did not play during the 2025-26 season as he worked toward a full recovery from injuries that had slowed him in recent years. The minicamp offers an opportunity for the free agent to take part in competitive basketball activities at full capacity.
Zero Restrictions Is the Key Update on Simmons
Simmons will be a full participant in Melbourne. That is a notable development for a player whose back issues affected his availability in recent seasons. Brooklyn shut Simmons down because of a nerve impingement in his back in both 2023 and 2024, and he underwent back surgery in March 2024.
Simmons is paying his own way to attend the camp. His godfather, Arizona State assistant coach David Patrick, who also coaches Australia’s national team, said Simmons has regained some of his former athleticism after taking last season off. Simmons has said this is the best he has felt in years.
A Veteran-Minimum Deal Could Offer Simmons a Path Back
Simmons is open to signing for the veteran minimum. That willingness gives him a more realistic, lower-cost path back into the NBA than the contracts he commanded earlier in his career.
His résumé still includes three All-Star selections, an All-NBA selection, and two All-Defensive team honors from his time in Philadelphia. Over 275 regular-season games with the 76ers, Simmons averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.7 assists.
At this stage, the question for interested teams is whether Simmons’ health, size, passing, and defensive versatility can support a role on an NBA roster. At 6-foot-10, those skills could retain value in a smaller role if he can consistently stay on the court.
From No. 1 Pick to Free Agency
Philadelphia selected Simmons first overall in the 2016 NBA Draft. After missing his first season because of injury, he won Rookie of the Year and developed into a central piece for the 76ers.
The Sixers traded Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets in February 2022 in the deal that brought James Harden to Philadelphia. Persistent back trouble subsequently limited Simmons in Brooklyn. His Nets tenure ended with a contract buyout in February 2025, after which he signed with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Simmons averaged 6.2 points and 6.9 assists in 33 appearances for Brooklyn during the 2024-25 season before the move. He finished that season with the Clippers, entered free agency, and then sat out the 2025-26 campaign.
Australia Remains a Longer-Term Goal for Simmons
Simmons hopes to represent Australia at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Attending the national-team minicamp could help him work toward that goal while he attempts to re-establish himself as an NBA option.
The Melbourne native has represented Australia before, playing at the 2013 FIBA Men’s Oceania Championships as a 17-year-old, but he missed the following three Olympic cycles despite being considered a candidate. The minicamp does not guarantee an NBA return, but it gives Simmons a chance to begin demonstrating whether he can remain healthy in competitive basketball.
What Comes Next for Simmons
For Simmons, the upcoming minicamp is a chance to begin answering the question that has followed his recent seasons: whether he can consistently stay on the court. His participation without restrictions is the latest step in an attempt to return to the NBA after a year away from the league.
