Following a dramatic offseason in which the Los Angeles Lakers overhauled the team and made some expensive signings, missing out on prime target Jonathan Kuminga became the most dramatic storyline, overshadowing even the Lakers’ Slovenian mini-camp. Now that Kuminga has gone to Minnesota, everyone’s waiting to see how Rob Pelinka will pivot. Even though the Lakers have a full roster, rumors have surfaced about whether the franchise should gamble on free agent Ben Simmons. However, prominent analysts at Lakers Collective caution that taking a flyer on the former No. 1 overall pick only makes sense under certain specific circumstances.
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Trevor Lane, a longtime Lakers analyst and host at Lakers Nation who has covered the franchise for over six years, and Pete Zayas feel that the Lakers should only sign Simmons if Pelinka clears enough roster spots to avoid tying up flexibility needed for mid-season buyout options.
“Should the Lakers look at Ben Simmons?” Lane asked, prompting a deep tell-all sigh from Zayas.
“I’d say no just because I feel like he would get in the way of guys like Adou [Thiero] and [Cameron] Carr and even Ziaire [Williams]. And you know Matisse [Thybulle], I think they’ve got sort of bench wing defenders covered… I don’t feel like we need more end of the bench, like defender type of guys,” Zayas explained.
He even referenced news that Bruce Brown was on Pelinka’s radar as a player worth signing rather than Simmons.
Lane echoed the sentiment, questioning whether Lakers head coach JJ Redick’s prior relationship with Simmons as a Philadelphia 76ers teammate could justify an invite.
“I’m very much of the mindset of leave no stone unturned… But I would rather if you’re gonna bring in Ben Simmons, prioritize a true reserve big rather than commit to Ben Simmons being kind of one of your small ball five options. He’s not going to space the floor for you. Obviously, you’ve got the shooting concerns,” Lane noted. “There was a point where he was legitimately one of the best defensive players in the NBA. If you told me that guy’s still in there, yeah, okay sign me up. But I’m just going to let another team deal with the Ben Simmons situation and figure out if they can turn him back into a useful NBA player.”
Zayas also noted that Redick has a full team and the infamy of not playing certain players without throwing his former teammate in the mix.
“And if we had like 13 guys, 14 guys on our roster right now, I’d be like, okay. But if you’re talking bringing in Kuminga, the roster is already at 16. You’d have to send three players out in that sort of deal just to get an empty roster spot, and you can even argue it’s better to hold that 15th spot out for a buyout type of guy in March or something like that, rather than going that route.”
They aren’t the first ones stressing that Simmons needs to prove he’s completely healthy and capable of returning to his elite defensive form before any team, and not just the Lakers, commits limited roster space to him.
Another California team could get Ben Simmons before the Lakers
Almost a month ago, when the Lakers were pursuing Jonathan Kuminga, Ben Simmons declared he’s vying for an NBA comeback. He just turned 30 in July, sat out the entire 2025-26 campaign following back-and-nerve injuries suffered during his stints with the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers, and suddenly became a sports fishing pro.
But this month, he joined the Australian National Team and trained at their camp to get back in NBA shape.
As he targets an NBA return, interest across the league has gained momentum, highlighted by a private workout hosted by the Sacramento Kings.
According to local reports, Sacramento Kings General Manager Scott Perry personally traveled to Florida to watch Simmons work out, with observers noting that the three-time All-Star “looked fantastic” during on-court drills.
Additionally, ESPN’s Marc J. Spears reported that Simmons participated with zero restrictions in Australia’s men’s national team mini-camp in Melbourne as he sets his sights on representing Australia at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Spears noted that multiple franchises have reached out to Simmons’ camp, including at least one Western Conference team that offered a non-guaranteed training-camp invite on a veteran minimum deal.
As for the worries about his durability, Simmons told Men’s Health, “The joy that I play with comes from being healthy,” Simmons stated. “When I’m out there, I make everybody better. I play defense. I get offensive rebounds… You can’t teach 6’10” and IQ.”
While analysts debate his potential fit alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, Simmons has been actively ramping up his physical training. He was seen as a potential Lakers asset until the Kuminga drama proved they don’t have the space for another player.
While a healthy Simmons remains an intriguing reclamation project, the Lakers’ tight cap space and clogged roster mean any potential acquisition has to be absolutely worth the cost of letting certain players go.