Ben Simmons has cracked open the door to a potential reunion with the Philadelphia 76ers — but NBA fans aren’t exactly rolling out the red carpet.
Simmons, now a free agent, was asked on social media whether he’d take a minimum deal to play center or power forward for Philly. His reply made waves:
“it aint about the $, id hoop there for free. Its deeper then what they make y’all believe which is why i keep it pushing. rn the focus is gettin the body 100% before putting my health on the line again… like i have been the past few years.”
Ben Simmons says he’d play for the 76ers for free 👀
(h/t @jmoreno76ers) pic.twitter.com/knxd2MDdnc
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) December 2, 2025
That was enough to reignite the debate among fans, and plenty weren’t buying the idea of a reunion.
One fan joked, “I mean better than paying Embiid 60 million to lose playoff games for them.” Another said, “As much money as he stole for the Sixers he’d better play for free.”
A third chimed in, “Bro been trying to get healthy for 2 years can’t wait for the gym clips this next off season.”
Simmons spent his first six seasons in Philly before things unraveled, leading to a move to Brooklyn that never materialized into anything meaningful on the court. His stay there was dominated by injuries and absences, and the brief Los Angeles Clippers chapter wasn’t much different — just 18 games played.
Now fans are split: is a return to the city where it all started a legitimate chance for redemption, or just the final stop before he fades out of the league?
“Welcome home king”: NBA fans hopeful for Ben Simmons’ return to Philly
Even with the pushback, there’s a good number of fans who think a comeback could work. After Simmons liked a comment placing him in a hypothetical lineup alongside Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Paul George, and Joel Embiid, some Sixers supporters started leaning into the idea.
One wrote, “Ben in a Sixers jersey again would break the internet .welcome home king.” Another said, “ben simmons return to philly would fix everything.”
A third wondered, “What if he gets his powers back?”
If Simmons truly wants to revive his career, the window isn’t completely shut — but the patience of Philly fans has never been known to stretch far.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
