Ben Simmons agreed a contract purchase with the Brooklyn Nets and intends to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers after eliminating the exemptions, the sources told Shams Charania de ESPN on Saturday.
A three times All-Star, Simmons binds to clippers as a high addition in the purchase field. The clippers have had a tremendous success in the shopping market in recent years, with productive periods of Russell Westbrook, Nicolas Batum and Reggie Jackson.
Simmons, 28, has spent three seasons in Brooklyn since it was acquired in an agreement that sent James Harden to the 76ers of Philadelphia. He has dealt with a variety of injuries in those years and has played more than 40 games only once with Nets. When leaving the franchise, he returned $ 1.1 million, the minimum prorated, at his purchase, sources told Charania.
Simmons will now join Harden in Los Angeles for a clippers team that came into playing seventh in the classification of the West Conference after leaving three in a row.
This season, Simmons averages 6.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists in 25 minutes per game. He appears to give the clippers to another creator of games and ball handling that can help relieve part of the pressure on Harden and Kawhi Leonard.
The clippers also added Bogdan Bogdanovic this week to help create more offensive and shooting for a team that has exceeded expectations this season due to their defense stingy. The clippers changed Terance Mann to Atlanta as part of the agreement that landed in Bogdanovic. With 6 feet 10 inches, Simmons can be the Public Services player shaped like the Swiss army who was supposed to be for coach Ty Lue this season.
The clippers will certainly wait for Simmons to create more shots for teammates, be another defender with size and help in the glass while they continue to press for a place in the top six in the playoffs after the break of the stars.
Simmons is in the last year of a maximum five -year contract he signed with the Sixers. You are ready to get to free agency this summer. In addition to the clippers, Simmons also met with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.
Ohm Yongmisuk of ESPN contributed to this report.
