Could the most hostile divorce in recent NBA history end with an extraordinary reunion? Ben Simmons is being linked with a return to the Philadelphia 76ers—more than four years after his relationship with the franchise and its supporters collapsed spectacularly.
The proposal is financially possible and Simmons has publicly left the door open. But despite growing speculation, no established NBA insider has confirmed that Philadelphia is actively negotiating with the Australian.
Simmons linked with stunning Philadelphia return
The original report emerged from Spanish outlet Blog de Basket, which claimed sources close to the 76ers had identified Simmons as an option for the final place on their roster.
The proposed agreement would reportedly be a one-year veteran-minimum contract.
Simmons has not played in the NBA since completing the 2024-25 season with the Los Angeles Clippers. He elected to sit out the entire 2025-26 campaign while attempting to recover physically and mentally from several injury-plagued years.
During a June interview with Men’s Health, Simmons named Philadelphia as one possible destination for his comeback.
“Maybe I’ll go back to Philly,” Simmons said.
He also praised Erik Spoelstra and the Miami Heat’s culture, meaning Philadelphia is not the only team he would consider.
Simmons’ social media activity has added to the speculation. The 30-year-old recently posted an image of LeBron James’ signature shoes after James completed his own remarkable move to the 76ers.
That is not evidence of an impending contract, but it was enough to generate further discussion about Simmons potentially joining James in Philadelphia.
Rumour remains unconfirmed
The prospect of Simmons returning is fascinating, but the strength of the reporting must be made clear.
No leading NBA reporter has independently confirmed that the 76ers have approached Simmons, scheduled a workout or offered him a contract.
The claim currently rests on a report citing unnamed sources close to Philadelphia. It should therefore be treated as an intriguing possibility—not an impending transaction.
That distinction has been lost in some subsequent coverage, which has presented Philadelphia’s interest as significantly more advanced than the available evidence supports.
The 76ers have not publicly commented on Simmons, while the player has not said that negotiations are underway.
For now, the basketball and financial logic is stronger than the sourcing.
Philadelphia has a financial pathway
The 76ers are operating above the NBA salary cap, but that does not automatically prevent them from signing Simmons.
Teams above the cap can use the veteran-minimum exception to complete their roster. A player with at least 10 years of NBA service would be eligible to earn approximately $3.88 million in 2026-27.
Under the NBA’s veteran reimbursement rules, a qualifying one-year minimum contract would carry a smaller cap charge—approximately $2.45 million—because the league covers the difference between the veteran’s salary and the two-year minimum amount.
Philadelphia would still need to comply with its roster limits and any applicable apron restrictions, but the veteran-minimum exception provides a legitimate pathway to sign Simmons without conventional salary-cap space.
The financial risk would be minimal compared with the five-year, $177 million maximum contract Simmons signed with Philadelphia in 2019.
The reputational risk would be considerably greater.
Would Philadelphia fans accept him?
Simmons was selected by the 76ers with the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft and initially appeared destined to become one of the franchise’s defining players.
He won Rookie of the Year, made three consecutive All-Star teams, earned an All-NBA Third Team selection and was twice named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team.
Simmons also led the league in steals during the 2019-20 season.
His Philadelphia career unravelled after the 2021 Eastern Conference semi-finals against Atlanta. Simmons famously passed up an open scoring opportunity late in Game 7, and the 76ers were eliminated at home.
Coach Doc Rivers then declined to say whether Simmons could be the point guard on a championship team, while Joel Embiid referenced the abandoned opportunity when discussing the turning point of the defeat.
Simmons requested a trade and did not play for Philadelphia during the following season. He was eventually sent to Brooklyn in the February 2022 deal that brought James Harden to the 76ers.
What followed was years of injuries, limited availability and declining production.
A return would force Philadelphia supporters to accept a player whose first tenure ended amid anger, criticism and mutual distrust.
That might be the biggest obstacle—even if the contract itself would carry little financial danger.
Simmons would return as a role player
The 76ers would not be signing Simmons to recreate the player who once controlled their offence.
Philadelphia already possesses an extraordinary collection of scorers and playmakers, led by James, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey and Embiid. VJ Edgecombe gives the team another dynamic young guard capable of creating his own offence.
Simmons would need to accept a radically reduced role.
Rich Paul has previously argued that Simmons could extend his career by operating as a screen-setting, playmaking centre rather than a traditional point guard. The idea would be to use his size, passing and defensive versatility without asking him to become a reliable perimeter scorer.
On the minimum, Simmons could theoretically provide:
- Switchable defence across several positions
- Rebounding and transition playmaking
- A secondary facilitator for reserve line-ups
- Small-ball minutes at centre
- Additional cover during Embiid’s managed absences
Those attributes still have value—if Simmons is healthy, willing to embrace the role and capable of regaining his defensive intensity.
That remains an enormous “if.”
A reunion would be the ultimate NBA redemption story
Philadelphia does not need Simmons to become an All-Star again. It would need him to defend, rebound, screen, pass and survive hostile scrutiny from the moment he returned.
Simmons would not be coming back as the face of the franchise. He would be returning as an end-of-rotation gamble on a minimum contract, surrounded by players with far greater offensive responsibilities.
That could reduce the pressure that followed him throughout his first Philadelphia tenure. It could also magnify the humiliation if the comeback failed.
The basketball case is defensible. The financial structure is workable. Simmons has openly mentioned Philadelphia as an option.
But until a trusted NBA reporter confirms direct contact, the potential reunion remains exactly that—a controversial rumour with just enough logic to refuse to disappear.
