Ben Simmons is currently an unsigned NBA free agent whose career stalled because of back and knee injuries, a messy split with the 76ers, and declining on-court impact with the Nets and Clippers. As of late 2025, he has no team but has publicly floated the idea of a comeback, even saying he would return to Philadelphia “for free.”

From rising star to stalled career

  • Ben Simmons was a former No. 1 pick, Rookie of the Year and three-time All-Star with the Philadelphia 76ers, known for elite defense and playmaking despite limited shooting.
  • His time in Philly unraveled after the 2021 playoffs and a highly publicized holdout that led to fines, a grievance, and eventually a trade to the Brooklyn Nets.

Injuries and performance drop

  • In Brooklyn, Simmons dealt with a herniated disc and chronic back and knee problems, needing surgery and missing long stretches of seasons.
  • When he did play, his scoring and aggressiveness dropped sharply; by 2024–25 he was putting up low single-digit points for the Nets and later the Clippers in limited minutes.

Free agency and uncertain future

  • Simmons was released by the Nets, had a short, ineffective stint with the Clippers, and entered the 2025 offseason without a contract.
  • Reports say he declined at least one veteran-minimum offer (from the Knicks) while hoping for a better deal, but as the 2025–26 season moved into December, he still had no team and some reports even floated him considering taking the whole season off or walking away from the league.

Talk of a Sixers return and fan forums

  • In late 2025, Simmons liked and commented on posts about returning to the 76ers, saying he would “hoop there for free,” which reignited media and fan discussion but with no clear sign the team wants him back.
  • On NBA forums, fans often frame the question exactly like your title—“what happened to Ben Simmons?”—with many pointing to a mix of injuries, loss of confidence, off-court distractions, and the mental toll of the Philly fallout as reasons his trajectory collapsed.

Big picture: what “happened”

  • Physically, recurring back and knee issues stopped him from playing like the switchable, explosive defender and transition playmaker he once was.
  • Professionally, the combination of the 76ers breakup, extended absences, underwhelming play in Brooklyn and LA, and now a long free-agency stretch has left his NBA future uncertain , with more talk about a possible comeback than actual minutes on the floor.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.