The Denver Nuggets are still trying to sort out whether Peyton Watson will remain with the team for at least one more season or suit up elsewhere as part of a sign-and-trade. There is no way around it — if he leaves, they'll be worse off, but at least they could pivot to... Ben Simmons? Yes, you read that right.
Marc J. Spears of ESPN reported that Simmons is "expected to be a full participant" with "zero restrictions" at a minicamp for the Australian men's basketball team that begins on Monday (today). Not only does he want to represent his home country at the 2028 Olympics, but he's also trying to make his way back to the NBA after spending last season focusing on his health.
Simmons is reportedly open to signing a veteran's minimum contract, and Spears added that several teams have "expressed interest" in the forward, including an unnamed team in the West that has already offered him a non-guaranteed deal for camp.
Could that team perhaps be the Nuggets?
Ben Simmons is eyeing a return to the NBA
You're probably rolling your eyes, thinking that the last thing Denver needs is another injury-prone veteran. And you know what? You could be right, but the Nuggets aren't in a position to be choosy. If Watson leaves, it will be worth bringing Simmons in, at least to see whether he truly has "regained his athleticism," as Australian (and Arizona State) assistant coach David Patrick said.
If Simmons has value left, it will be on the defensive end (shocker!), and that's an area Denver will need help in. I don't want to say it, but alas, without Aaron Gordon, the defense falls apart completely, and he has injury concerns of his own. If AG misses time and Watson is gone, it will get ugly fast.
That's where it will help most to have Simmons as insurance, but he could also serve as another facilitator (he's averaged 7.2 assists per game over his career).
At the very least, Denver should be open to bringing in Simmons on a non-guaranteed deal for camp (if it isn't the team that has already expressed a willingness to do so).
The Nuggets hope to get a "high-level player" in a return sign-and-trade package for Watson. However, with Denver trying to push for another title with Nikola Jokić, who is obviously still playing at an absurdly high level, it wouldn't hurt to explore bringing in Simmons.
Simmons didn't move the needle for the Clippers at the end of the 2024-25 season, the last time he was in the NBA, but maybe the year off did him a favor. This isn't the first time that we've heard about how good he looks during the offseason (and it probably won't be the last), so while the Nuggets need to proceed with caution, they could talk themselves into it at his price point. After all, who else is out there?
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