The Toronto Raptors appear to be hell-bent on making decisions that could raise eyebrows following the end of the 2025 NBA Draft. After parting ways with arguably the best president in the franchise’s history, Masai Ujiri, the Raptors are being linked to a player who’s been on the decline in the last few years, and fans are outraged.
Fans Outraged As Raptors Linked to Ben Simmons in NBA Free Agency
According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet, the Raptors may consider signing Simmons on a veteran’s minimum contract this free agency. The Raptors have two open spots on the roster with 39-year-old Garrett Temple expected to sign another one-year deal, and could likely be looking at Simmons as a veteran role player.
“Another name that might be out there is Ben Simmons, the oft-injured former No.1 pick who cobbled together some interesting box-score totals (9.2 assists, 7.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per 36 minutes) in a limited role over 51 games split between the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers,” Grange wrote.
However, since that haunting game against the Atlanta Hawks in the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Simmons’ career has been slim pickings. After the saga with the Philadelphia 76ers, he has tried reviving his career with the Brooklyn Nets and the Clippers.
Additionally, the Raptors already have several young guys on their roster with similar production levels to Simmons, which made fans question the reason behind such a potential move.
“For their G-League team?” one fan wrote in response to the news..
For their G-League team?
— Ben (@TheHurricaneBen) June 28, 2025
Simmons was the first overall pick in 2016 and lived up to the hype with a Rookie of the Year performance in his first season. He continued to impress till 2021, but has since seen his production drop from over 15+ points per game to just five last season and has also been plagued by injuries.
“Why does anyone show any interest in this b**? Why do franchises like wasting money just to waste money?” another fan wrote.
Another fan advised general manager Bobby Webster not to even think about such a move.
“Bobby, don’t even think about it,” the fan wrote.
The Raptors were one of the teams linked with Giannis Antetokounmpo, and now, as fans see them going after a seemingly declining player, they are in disbelief.
“From Giannis talks to Ben Simmons talks,” a fan wrote, sharing a GIF that showed a man crying.
From Giannis talks to Ben Simmons talks pic.twitter.com/kqw0hVWLpw
— nick🩻 (@nickbeforedark) June 29, 2025
Another fan suggested the Raptors might target small role players to tank next season. “We’re building a team of Ben Simmons-like players. Might as well get the real deal himself. Guess we’re tanking,” the X user commented.
One basketball fan argued that Simmons and Barnes weren’t compatible together, and that if the Australian wanted to revive his career, he should head to the Miami Heat or the Sacramento Kings.
“Ben Simmons better not sign there,” one NBA fan commented. “Him and Scottie Barnes don’t mix. They play the same. Ben needs to go somewhere where he can have a chance to prove himself. If I was him, I would try Miami, Sacramento [or] Phx, places that need PG play. I would even try Indy now that Hali is hurt.”
There’s no doubt the fans’ concerns related to Simmons’ career trajectory are valid. Still, it’s worth noting that the underlying reason behind such a move is that the Raptors have a costly starting five comprised of Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Brandon Ingram, Barnes, and Jakob Poeltl. This limits how much they can spend on bench and role players, without having to shell out a heavy luxury tax bill, forcing them to consider players like Simmons.
