Ben Simmons Is Back In Shape & Prepping A Comeback

There was a time when Ben Simmons looked like one of basketball’s safest bets for superstardom. After arriving in the United States from Australia, the 6-foot-10 phenom became the No. 1 player in his high school class while starring at Montverde Academy, winning three straight national championships and drawing comparisons to players like LeBron James and Magic Johnson because of his combination of size, athleticism and court vision. Simmons then spent one season at LSU, averaging 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists while earning National Freshman of the Year honors before the Philadelphia 76ers selected him with the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.

Although a broken foot delayed his NBA debut by a season, Simmons quickly showed why there had been so much hype. He won Rookie of the Year in 2017-18 and eventually became a three-time All-Star and two-time All-Defensive selection, looking like a foundational piece alongside Joel Embiid in Philadelphia. But his lack of shooting became increasingly difficult to ignore, and everything seemed to come to a head during the Sixers’ 2021 playoff loss to Atlanta — particularly the infamous Game 7 possession when Simmons passed up what appeared to be an open dunk. A messy standoff with Philadelphia followed; Simmons requested a trade and ultimately landed with the Brooklyn Nets in the February 2022 James Harden deal.

What happened after the trade is a big reason people have a difficult time knowing what to expect from Simmons now. Persistent back problems prevented him from ever establishing himself in Brooklyn, including nerve impingements that eventually required two back surgeries. After the Nets bought out the remainder of his contract in February 2025, Simmons finished that season with the Los Angeles Clippers, appearing in 18 games. But even when he was technically available, Simmons later told Men’s Health that he was playing through significant pain and simply couldn’t physically do many of the things that once made him special.

Then Simmons essentially disappeared from NBA basketball altogether. Rather than sign somewhere for the 2025-26 season, he stepped away, focused on getting his body right, and dove deeper into one of his other passions: fishing. Simmons became the majority owner of the South Florida Sails Angling Club and spent much of his time away from basketball on the water, later explaining that he needed space from everything surrounding his career. Still, the competitive itch never completely disappeared. Watching the NBA playoffs made Simmons, who told Men’s Health, believe he could still compete at that level.

That brings us to the latest edition of the Ben Simmons comeback conversation. Simmons spent the early summer ramping up his body with lengthy strength training, rehabilitation, and on-court sessions, telling Men’s Health that his goal was to become as physically strong as possible before deciding where basketball might take him next. Now, the comeback has taken another step. The 30-year-old is participating in a player-led private minicamp with the Australian national team in Melbourne and is reportedly practicing with “zero restrictions.” Before traveling home, Simmons had primarily been training in Miami and reportedly paid his own way to attend the Boomers camp.

And yes, there are workout videos. Recent footage shows a noticeably lean and muscular Simmons running with Australian players, attacking the basket and — because apparently no NBA offseason involving Ben Simmons can be complete without it — knocking down jumpers. The clips have already gone viral, including footage of Simmons comfortably pulling up from outside. There is at least some substance behind the highlights this time: several NBA teams have reportedly expressed interest, Simmons is willing to accept a veteran-minimum contract and one Western Conference team has already offered him a non-guaranteed deal. He has also made clear that playing for Australia at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is one of his goals.

As for where an NBA comeback could happen, Simmons isn’t locking himself into anything. In his June interview with Men’s Health, he floated both a reunion with Philadelphia and the Miami Heat, specifically praising Erik Spoelstra and Miami’s culture, while saying his plan was essentially to get healthy enough that a team would realize it could use what he still brings to the floor. Simmons believes his size, basketball IQ, defense and playmaking still have value. And considering he once averaged 15-plus points, eight rebounds and eight assists as a rookie, it’s easy to understand why a team might decide a low-risk contract is worth finding out how much is left.

There is just one problem: NBA fans have watched this movie before. Simmons workout footage has practically become an annual summer tradition over the years, with videos of him looking healthy, aggressive and unusually comfortable shooting the basketball repeatedly creating optimism that rarely carried over once real games began. Simmons has made only five three-pointers in 383 career NBA games, so when footage surfaced of him confidently hitting jumpers again, social media immediately reached for the jokes instead of the comeback bandwagon.

One fan summed up the mood perfectly, writing, “There is no way people are falling for this in year 2026.” Another joked, “It’s not summer until we have a Ben Simmons workout video.” Elsewhere, fans responded to the newest jumper clips with variations of “not falling for this again” and jokes about the yearly Simmons workout mixtape. Maybe this comeback really will be different. Simmons certainly looks healthier, and for the first time in a while he appears to be approaching basketball on his own terms. But after years of injuries, offseason workout videos and attempted resets, social media has made its position clear: show us in an NBA game first.

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