Ben

Simmons

An unrestricted free agent after finishing last season with the Clippers, Simmons has been connected with multiple teams this offseason, including the Celtics and Knicks. However, he reportedly turned down a one-year offer from New York. The Knicks are limited in what they can offer a veteran due to the salary cap, which may have factored into Simmons’ decision to pass. New York can realistically only offer the league minimum to avoid the second apron. Simmons can be impactful as a defender and playmaker, but his limited scoring ability can be problematic if he isn’t the only non-shooter on the floor.

While Simmons’ career has not panned out the way many expected it to, his playmaking and defensive abilities mean there is interest in the free agent forward. In his report, Windhorst mentioned the Kings, Suns, Knicks and Celtics as teams linked with Simmons. The potential impact on fantasy basketball will depend on the location and Simmons’ health, which has been problematic for most of his NBA career. He played in 51 games last season between the Nets and Clippers, averaging 5.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 0.7 steals in 22.0 minutes.

Simmons will return to the Clippers’ rotation after sitting out Wednesday’s win over the Rockets. His best path to fantasy relevance would be for starting center Ivica Zubac (ankle) not to play. The Clippers listed Zubac as questionable in the initial injury report.

While Zubac was on the court Wednesday night, recording his first career triple-double, Powell was held out due to a shoulder injury. He was replaced in the lineup by Derrick Jones Jr., who will likely retain that role if Powell does not play in Sacramento. As for Zubac, Drew Eubanks and Ben Simmons would be available to absorb his minutes.

Simmons will not be available for Wednesday’s game for injury management reasons. He logged 15 minutes off the bench in Tuesday’s win over the Spurs. Coffey will miss a sixth straight game with an inflamed left knee. The absences likely mean a few more minutes for Nicolas Batum, and Kawhi Leonard can also absorb the available playing time.

Simmons was held out of Friday’s win over the Mavericks for injury management reasons, while Miller has not appeared in a game since March 12. Simmons will be in the rotation, especially if Kawhi Leonard (questionable) does not play, while Miller is unlikely to have a role.

The Clippers have a mini-series against Dallas on Friday and Saturday, and Simmons will sit out the first leg. Kawhi Leonard will be available, so Tyronn Lue may be trying to stagger their availability as to not fully punt on either game. Nicolas Batum should take on extra minutes with Simmons sidelined.

Simmons has missed the last seven games as he manages a knee injury. He’ll be back in a limited bench role, possibly taking minutes from Nicolas Batum and Amir Coffey. Simmons isn’t fantasy-relevant at the moment.

Simmons has missed the Clippers’ last seven games with this ongoing knee issue, but he may return to the lineup against Atlanta. He would only play a limited reserve role whenever he is made available, though that could still take minutes away from Nicolas Batum and Amir Coffey.

After hosting the Kings on Sunday, the Clippers will hit the road for a three-game trip that begins Tuesday night in New Orleans. Simmons, who will miss a fifth-straight game on Sunday, will not travel due to left knee injury management. His absence does not significantly impact fantasy basketball, but it frees up additional minutes for Amir Coffey.