Three-time All-Star Ben Simmons teased a return to the NBA on social media.<\/p>\n
On Friday, Simmons posted a photo of himself next to a basketball hoop on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n “I wouldn’t change the story,” Simmons wrote in the caption. “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.”<\/p>\n Simmons previously suited up for the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2024-25 season before putting his playing career on hold<\/a> after injuries started to pile up.<\/p>\n He later joined the\u00a0professional fishing world<\/a>\u00a0after departing the NBA, becoming a co-owner and angler for the South Florida Sails Angling Club.<\/p>\n Simmons was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft, quickly blossoming into a star as a member of the organization.<\/p>\n He averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.7 blocks per game while shooting 56.0 percent from the field throughout his four seasons in Philadelphia. Simmons racked up two All-Defensive\u00a0Team selections, one All-NBA nod and a Rookie of the Year victory across that span.<\/p>\n He ended up missing the entire 2021-22 season due to a\u00a0contract holdout<\/a>\u00a0and a\u00a0back injury<\/a>\u00a0that required surgery.<\/p>\n Simmons was later\u00a0traded<\/a>\u00a0to the Brooklyn Nets in Sept. 2022 and was plagued by health issues, appearing in just 57 of a possible 164 regular-season games across his first two seasons with the team. He\u00a0underwent<\/a>\u00a0a second back surgery that sidelined him for the end of his 2023-24 campaign.<\/p>\n Simmons spent the 2024-25 season on the Nets and Clippers, as he was waived by Brooklyn in Feb. 2025 before signing with Los Angeles. He averaged 5.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while shooting 52.0 percent on field goals with both teams.<\/p>\n While Simmons was away from the NBA during the 2025-26 season, he could be gearing up for a comeback.<\/p>\n