Where will Ben Simmons land? It’s one of the biggest and most complicated questions of the NBA offseason. For weeks, the conversation has centered around three main contenders: the New York Knicks, the Sacramento Kings, and the Boston Celtics. But in a recent appearance on the “Garden Report” podcast, NBA insider Brett Siegel threw a surprising new “dark horse” into the mix, a team with a very ironic and complicated history with the former All-Star.

“One team that hasn’t been reported… it’s just my feel of who I think he would be great on,” Siegel said, before dropping the unexpected name. “I think a team like the Atlanta Hawks makes a lot of sense for Ben Simmons because they need another facilitator in their back court… that’s a type of system that Ben Simmons can really thrive in.”

It’s a fascinating idea from a basketball perspective. The Hawks, with their athletic wings and shooters, could be a perfect fit for a pass-first playmaker like Simmons. But it’s the history between the two that makes this potential partnership so wild. The last time Simmons was on a true contender, his journey was derailed by a single, infamous play… against the Atlanta Hawks. That passed-up dunk in Game 7 of the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals has haunted him ever since. A move to Atlanta would be the ultimate full-circle redemption arc, a chance to rewrite his own history in the very city where it all went wrong.

While the Hawks are a compelling new possibility, Siegel provided a crucial update on the other teams in the mix. He confirmed that the Phoenix Suns, once seen as a potential suitor, are now out of the running. “They have not shown any interest in Ben Simmons at all this offseason,” Siegel stated, explaining that the Suns were all-in on trying to sign Marcus Smart before he was bought out and signed with the Lakers.

That leaves the three teams that have been at the center of the Simmons speculation for weeks: the New York Knicks, the Sacramento Kings, and the Boston Celtics. However, Siegel threw cold water on the Boston rumors, suggesting the fit is questionable for a team that seems to be in a retooling phase.

“I don’t necessarily see the fit with Boston,” Siegel admitted. He explained that while Simmons could provide some playmaking, it doesn’t align with the Celtics’ current timeline. “Like, yeah, he can be another playmaker, another facilitator, but we expect the Celtics to take a step back this season and kind of retool and see where this roster is at… So, when Tatum is healthy again, they can go back to competing for a championship.”

Siegel did float one possibility, framing it as a low-risk experiment. “Maybe you try out for a year and that’s your test run with him,” he said, before ultimately dismissing the idea. “But I I just I don’t I don’t see it like you. I don’t think that it’s a realistic landing spot.”

The update paints a clearer, if still uncertain, picture of the Ben Simmons sweepstakes. With the Celtics seemingly fading and the Suns also potentially out, the surprising and poetic new option in Atlanta has emerged alongside the long-standing interest from the Knicks and Kings. And as it turns out, his decision is holding up the entire market.

The Ben Simmons domino: Why Russell Westbrook’s future is on hold

So what’s the holdup for the rest of the free-agent market? According to NBA insider Jake L. Fischer, it all comes down to one man: Ben Simmons. His indecision has created a “holding pattern” for other veteran guards, most notably Russell Westbrook and Malcolm Brogdon.

“I think Westbrook is another player who’s being held up by Ben Simmons,” Fischer said on a Bleacher Report livestream. “You know, he’s had interest from Sacramento [Kings]. He had interest from New York [Knicks] at one point in time, but I do think that Simmons is younger and theoretically has more upside left on the table. Russ is a big personality. I think he is in the holding pattern just like Malcolm Brogdon behind Ben Simmons here.”

It’s a fascinating dynamic. Teams aren’t just waiting to see if they can sign Simmons, they’re waiting to see what the market looks like after he signs. Fischer described him as the “most consequential free agent on the board,” the one “domino that a lot of agents and teams are waiting on for this next evolution of the offseason market.”

So when will that domino finally fall? According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the wait might be almost over. “I’m told he’s probably going to make a choice in the next week,” Windhorst reported, adding that the Knicks, Kings, and Celtics have all been connected to him. With a decision imminent, the final pieces of the NBA’s