Ben Simmons’ NBA comeback is no longer limited to cryptic social media posts and impressive workout footage.
The Australian has reportedly received a non-guaranteed training camp offer from an unnamed Western Conference team, giving him a genuine opportunity to return to the league after sitting out the entire 2025-26 season.
Several other teams have also expressed interest, although Simmons has not accepted an offer or secured a guaranteed NBA roster spot.
Western Conference team makes Simmons offer
ESPN and Andscape senior NBA writer Marc J. Spears revealed the development during an appearance on NBA Today.
“He does have an offer from a West team to come to a training camp,” Spears said.
Spears subsequently clarified that the proposal was non-guaranteed, meaning Simmons would need to earn his place during the preseason.
“A non-guaranteed offer,” Spears said.
“I think he’s hoping if he plays well in this training camp, with coaches like Adam Caporn from the Wizards and other people with NBA ties at this camp, that perhaps this could lead to something else.
“There’s a couple other teams that are interested, so I think maybe he’ll have an option soon that he really likes.”
The identity of the Western Conference team has not been disclosed. Any attempt to connect Simmons with a specific franchise remains speculation.
The development was subsequently reported by Heavy Sports.
Training with Boomers in Melbourne
Simmons is participating in a player-led Australian Boomers minicamp in Melbourne as he attempts to prove his body is ready for another NBA season.
According to ESPN’s report, the 30-year-old was expected to participate fully and with “zero restrictions”.
Training alongside Australian NBA players such as Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels gives Simmons an important opportunity to test himself against elite competition.
It also places him in front of coaches and basketball officials with NBA connections.
Simmons reportedly paid his own expenses to attend the camp, demonstrating a level of commitment that has not always been associated with his Boomers career.
He also hopes to represent Australia at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, although participation in the Melbourne camp does not guarantee him future national-team selection.
A contract is far from guaranteed
A training camp invitation represents progress, but it should not be mistaken for a completed NBA comeback.
Non-guaranteed contracts allow teams to bring players into camp without committing to their full salary for the season. Simmons would likely need to prove he can remain healthy, accept a limited role and contribute without dominating possession.
He is reportedly willing to sign for the veteran minimum—a dramatic change for a player who once held one of the league’s most lucrative contracts.
For an interested team, the financial risk would be relatively small. The basketball questions are considerably larger.
Can Simmons defend at anything close to his former All-NBA level? Can he stay on the court? And will his lack of shooting make him difficult to use during important games?
Those questions have followed him for years, but teams now have the opportunity to assess him without making a major financial commitment.
Simmons has not played since 2025
Simmons last appeared in the NBA during the 2024-25 season, which he split between the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers.
He played 51 regular-season games and averaged 5.0 points, 5.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds across 22 minutes per appearance. Those numbers were a long way below the production that made him one of the league’s brightest young stars in Philadelphia.
The former No.1 draft pick earned three consecutive All-Star selections from 2019 to 2021. He also made the NBA All-Defensive First Team twice and finished second in voting for Defensive Player of the Year in 2021.
Injuries—particularly recurring back problems—then transformed the direction of his career.
Simmons did not play during the 2021-22 season and was limited to 42 appearances across the following two campaigns. Although he managed 51 games in 2024-25, his role diminished after joining the Clippers.
He then stepped away from the NBA for the entire 2025-26 season.
Simmons says he is ready for another chapter
Simmons recently fuelled comeback speculation with a reflective Instagram message.
“I wouldn’t change the story,” he wrote.
“The highs, the lows, the pain, the time, the lessons. I embrace all of it.
“Every chapter built something in me that I couldn’t have built any other way. Grateful for where I’ve been. Proud of where I stand. Ready for wherever this goes.”
Until now, the post could have been dismissed as another comeback tease.
A reported offer from an NBA team changes that.
Is this Simmons’ final opportunity?
Simmons does not need to return as the player Philadelphia once believed could become a franchise cornerstone.
He needs to show he can remain healthy, defend multiple positions, create opportunities for teammates and embrace a supporting role.
At the veteran minimum, that package could still interest teams searching for size and defensive versatility. His inability—or unwillingness—to shoot remains a major limitation, but it becomes easier to tolerate when a team is no longer paying him superstar money.
The Western Conference invitation does not guarantee Simmons will play another NBA game. It does, however, provide something he has not had for more than a year: a legitimate path back.
The comeback is suddenly real. What Simmons does with the opportunity will determine whether it lasts beyond training camp.
