“Need To Make That Happen”: Ex-NBA Star Pushes Agent Rich Paul To Get Ben Simmons To Play for 76ers

It's been a little over a year since we last saw Ben Simmons play in the NBA. Simmons has been out of action since May 2025 due to his severe back injuries. After last playing for the LA Clippers, the Australian forward decided to take time off to focus on healing his body.

However, recently, there have been rumors that Simmons could make an NBA comeback. This led to much speculation that he might return to the team that drafted him in 2016, the Philadelphia 76ers. Former NBA star Jeff Teague is all for Ben going back to Philly.

"Y’all think Philly will accept him back? ... I lowkey want him to go back to the Sixers now," Teague said in a recent episode of the Club 520 podcast. "They lowkey need to make that happen, if Rich (Paul) can make that happen, because what you did for Gary Trent is nothing."

According to rumors, the 76ers have considered bringing him back in for a minimum contract. However, due to financial struggles, Philly's front office is still working on an offer. After signing LeBron James to a two-year contract worth $8 million, the Sixers are now sitting less than $2 million below the first apron.

Because Simmons has been in the league for nearly a decade, he qualifies for the highest tier of the veteran minimum contract, which should be approximately $3.8 million. That's $1.8 million more than what Philly can currently afford.

One thing to note, though, is that the NBA's veteran minimum salary decreases by $14,000 every day from the start of the season. If the Sixers can't figure out how to bring Simmons back this offseason, they could wait it out until the prorated veteran minimum would match their current budget.

Ben Simmons Wants to Go Back to Philly

While everyone is speculating about the possibility of Ben Simmons making his return to the Philadelphia 76ers, it appears that he also wants the same thing to happen.

In early July, Simmons declared that he's preparing for an NBA comeback during an interview with Men's Health magazine. One of the teams he mentioned is none other than the 76ers.

"I plan on getting as strong as I can physically, getting my a** on the court, and then the team realizing that my abilities will be needed," Simmons said. "I don’t have a plan on where. Maybe I’ll go back to Philly."

Honestly, now's a good time for him to go back to the City of Brotherly Love. The 76ers are currently stacked with four All-Stars.

These include LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, and Tyrese Maxey. Since teaming up earlier this summer, the 76ers have suddenly skyrocketed as one of the favorites to win the NBA championship in 2027.

With that in mind, it's possible that Simmons could be walking into a free-ring situation if he ends up with the Sixers. However, he's also open-minded to playing for other teams like the Miami Heat.

"Miami would be nice. And not because it’s Miami—I like Erik Spoelstra, I like the Heat, I like their organization, I like the culture," Simmons added in his interview.

Still, Simmons might not be the perfect fit for what Miami actually needs. The Heat are short on shooting to surround Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo with, and shooting has never been Simmons' game. He's more notorious for passing up open looks than knocking them down.

Fit issues aside, it'll be worth watching whether any team steps up to offer him a contract for the 2026-27 season.