<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-rumors-ben-simmons-potential-target-masai-ujiri-departure');   ga('set', 'title', 'Raptors rumors: Ben Simmons floated as potential target following Masai Ujiri departure');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1438.jpeg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Raptors rumors: Ben Simmons floated as potential target following Masai Ujiri departure</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-28T17:19:54-07:00">June 28th, 5:19pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T12:45:24-07:00">June 29th, 12:45pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Toronto Raptors made a shocking announcement this week when it was revealed that longtime executive <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-masai-ujiri-toronto-part-ways-2025-nba-draft">Masai Ujiri would not return to the organization</a> next season. Ujiri was entering the final year of his contract and both sides opted to part ways. With Ujiri out of the picture, much of the roster building would appear to fall on general manager Bobby Webster. With the NBA free agency period approaching, a <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/nba/article/whats-next-for-raptors-after-major-shakeup/" rel="noopener">potential target that’s been mentioned</a> for the Raptors is former No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons, as per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.</p><p>Ben Simmons, who is set to hit unrestricted free agency after finishing the 2024-25 season with the Clippers, could potentially fill one of what’s expected to be three open spots on the Raptors roster. Those signings would likely have to come at minimum deals. In addition to Simmons, veteran guard Garrett Temple was also mentioned as a potential candidate for one of those final roster spots. Temple has spent the last two seasons with the Raptors.</p><p>As for Simmons, while he won’t ever regain the form that made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, he shown that he can still be a serviceable NBA player. Simmons finished last season with the LA Clippers, signing with the team after having his contract bought out by the Brooklyn Nets.</p><p>He ended up appearing in 18 regular season games for the Clippers at a little over 16 minutes per game. He averaged 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists with splits of 43.4 percent shooting from the field and 85.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><p>During the Clippers’ opening round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, Simmons saw his role cut, averaging only 1.4 rebounds in a little over eight minutes across five games.</p><p>But if the Raptors are interested in signing Simmons in free agency, they reportedly will have some competition from the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-rumors-insider-suggests-ben-simmons-signing">Golden State Warriors who also have rumored free agent interest</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Raptors rumors: Ben Simmons floated as potential target following Masai Ujiri departure

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-rumors-insider-suggests-ben-simmons-signing');   ga('set', 'title', 'Warriors rumors: Insider suggests Ben Simmons signing');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Golden-State-Warriors-center-Quinten-Post-21-gestures-toward-LA-Clippers-guard-Ben-Simmons-25.jpg"><figcaption>© Robert Edwards-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Warriors rumors: Insider suggests Ben Simmons signing</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-24T10:38:08-07:00">June 24th, 10:38am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-24T15:11:12-07:00">June 24th, 3:11pm</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Golden State Warriors</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/indiana-pacers/ranking-3-best-myles-turner-free-agency-destinations-if-he-leaves-pacers">Golden State Warriors are expected to be active in the search for a center</a> this offseason, and one surprising name has surfaced as a potential target — Ben Simmons. According to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole, Simmons could be <a href="https://www.nbcsportsbayarea.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/nba-free-agency-center-options/1857576/" rel="noopener">among the options</a> the Warriors explore when free agency opens on June 30.</p><p>Simmons, 28, split the 2024–25 season between the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers. He averaged 5.0 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.7 rebounds in 22 minutes per game across 51 appearances, while shooting 52% from the field. The 6-foot-10, 240-pound forward entered the league as a point guard in 2016 but has recently shifted into a center role.</p><p>“He might be the league’s worst finisher at the rim. Just awful,” Poole wrote. “But hear me out. He’s 6-foot-10, 240 pounds, still has some of his once-stunning athleticism and remains a strong, switchable defender.</p><p>“He entered the NBA in 2016 as a point guard but has transitioned to center, finishing last season as a backup to Ivica Zubac with the Clippers. If Simmons aches for a redemption season, he could be a good value.”</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-mike-dunleavy-jr-hints-potential-offseason-trades">Warriors are looking to retool around their new trio</a> of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green following their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-jonathan-kuminga-lab-work-video-free-agency">second-round playoff exit to the Minnesota Timberwolves</a> in May. Frontcourt depth remains a key area of focus heading into the offseason.</p><h2><b>Warriors linked to Ben Simmons</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Brook-Lopez-11-blocks-the-shot-of-Atlanta-Hawks-center-Clint-Capela-15-in-the-second-quarter.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Poole also mentioned Clint Capela and Brook Lopez as potential free-agent options. Capela, 31, played 55 games for the Atlanta Hawks during the 2024–25 season, averaging 8.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game in 21.4 minutes — his lowest playing time since 2015–16. The 6-foot-10, 240-pound veteran remains a reliable rim protector and rebounder.</p><p>Lopez, 37, appeared in 80 games for the Milwaukee Bucks, logging 31.8 minutes per contest. He averaged 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks while shooting 50.9% from the field and 37.3% from beyond the arc. The 7-foot-1 center continues to be an effective floor spacer and shot blocker in his 17th NBA season.</p><p>As for trade targets, Poole highlighted Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford, who averaged 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in 21.5 minutes per game. Gafford, 26, shot 70.2% from the field in his first full season with Dallas and reportedly <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-daniel-gafford-agrees-60m-contract-extension">agreed to a three-year, $60 million extension</a> over the weekend.</p><p>With the No. 41 pick in the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft, the Warriors may also look to add a young big. Poole mentioned Penn State’s Yanic Konan Niederhauser and Kentucky’s Amari Williams as possible second-round targets.</p><p>Niederhauser, a 22-year-old Switzerland native, led the Big Ten in blocks in each of the past two seasons. Williams, 23, played his final collegiate year at Kentucky after transferring from Drexel and is known for his feel for the game and defensive presence.</p><p>Golden State enters a pivotal offseason, exploring multiple avenues — free agency, trade, and the draft — to reshape its frontcourt and support its veteran core.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Warriors rumors: Insider suggests Ben Simmons signing

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-clippers/clippers-news-stephen-a-smith-drops-ben-simmons-stealing-money-take');   ga('set', 'title', 'Stephen A. Smith drops Clippers’ Ben Simmons ‘stealing money’ take');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ben-Simmons-on-April-11-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Stephen A. Smith drops Clippers’ Ben Simmons ‘stealing money’ take</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-18T11:03:52-07:00">April 18th, 11:03am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-18T11:03:52-07:00">April 18th, 11:03am</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Clippers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting/clippers-vs-nuggets-game-1-prediction-odds-pick-spread-for-nba-playoffs-2025">Los Angeles Clippers face the Denver Nuggets</a> in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, fans are wondering how Ben Simmons will play with the rest of the team. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-clippers/clippers-news-tyronn-lue-gets-real-ben-simmons-role-nuggets-nba-playoff-series">Clippers head coach Ty Lue spoke about Simmons’ role</a> with the team, which garnered a drastic response from Stephen A. Smith.</p><p>Lue would say that Simmons should be more aggressive in scoring the ball, as when Smith was asked about that on ESPN’s “First Take,” he would go as far as to say that the 28-year-old is <a href="https://x.com/FirstTake/status/1913250962854105509" rel="noopener">“stealing money.”</a></p><p>“The fact that Ty Lue said what he said is just more evidence that Ben Simmons has been stealing money,” Smith said. “You have to ask a professional basketball player, getting paid the money he’s getting paid to shoot, and to maximize your potential. Do you understand that when we looked at Ben Simmons with potential, this brother is so special as a talent, but my Lord, what a disappointment, and it’s all because of a willingness or lack thereof, as opposed to ability. I have nothing else to say, because I’m not gonna say anything nice.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“Ben Simmons has been stealing money.” 😅 <a href="https://twitter.com/stephenasmith?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@stephenasmith</a> on Clippers coach Tyronn Lue asking Ben Simmons to be a “scoring threat” against the Nuggets 👀 <a href="https://t.co/lSc2yTX1cC">pic.twitter.com/lSc2yTX1cC</a></p><p>— First Take (@FirstTake) <a href="https://twitter.com/FirstTake/status/1913250962854105509?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Clippers’ Ben Simmons is in “point guard mode too much”</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ben-Simmons-on-April-11-2025.1.jpg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While it isn’t the first time the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-shaq-takes-aim-ben-simmons-wemby-chet-holmgren-in-wild-nsfw-rant">Clippers star is getting targeted</a> at for his disappointment since many believe he had immense talent coming into the NBA as he was the No. 1 oversall pick in 2016. Still, Smith’s partner on the panel in former player Danny Granger played with Simmons and took a more calm approach to the subject, saying that he agrees with Lue, even expressing how the player is in “point guard mode too much.”</p><p>“I got a chance to play with Ben, I had some great opportunity and career highs in three-point attempts. I just think he’s in point guard mode too much,” Granger said. “So yes, he does need to be more aggressive, but he’s used to being a point guard, and they don’t need that. And you know, it’s a mental hump that he needs to get over. But I’m being nice today, I’m not gonna say he’s stealing money.”</p><p>This would be a point that Smith would agree with, saying that it is a “very nice way to put it.”</p><p>“That’s a very nice way to put it. He’s in point guard mode too much. I gotta remember to use that,” Smith said.</p><p>At any rate, Simmons looks to silence the doubters and produce for Los Angeles as Game 1 against the Nuggets will be on Saturday afternoon.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Stephen A. Smith drops Clippers’ Ben Simmons ‘stealing money’ take

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-clippers/clippers-news-tyronn-lue-gets-real-ben-simmons-role-nuggets-nba-playoff-series');   ga('set', 'title', 'Tyronn Lue gets real on Ben Simmons’ role in Nuggets NBA Playoff series');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ben-Simmons-Tyronn-Lue-Los-Angeles-Clippers-Denver-Nuggets.jpg"></figure><h1>Tyronn Lue gets real on Ben Simmons’ role in Nuggets NBA Playoff series</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-16T19:04:50-07:00">April 16th, 7:04pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-16T19:05:06-07:00">April 16th, 7:05pm</time><address><a>Tomer Azarly</a>Tomer Azarly is in his ninth season as the LA Clippers beat writer and NBA reporter for ClutchPoints. From the Lob City era to the Kawhi Leonard-James Harden era, he brings you everything you need to know about the Clippers as well as coast-to-coast coverage of the NBA.In his free time, Tomer likes to play basketball, video games, and draw.You can follow his Twitter and Instagram for all Clippers content.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Denver Nuggets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Clippers are using their week off to prepare for their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-clippers/ben-simmons-does-best-nikola-jokic-impression-for-clippers-scout-team">first round playoff series</a> against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. One of the things the Clippers will need, according to head coach Tyronn Lue, is an aggressive Ben Simmons.</p><p>Ben Simmons has only been with the Clippers <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-clippers/clippers-news-james-harden-celebrates-la-depth-nuggets-series">for a few months</a>, but has already made a positive impact on the rotation.</p><h2><b>Tyronn Lue on Ben Simmons’ role heading into Clippers-Nuggets series</b></h2><p>The LA Clippers will take on the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of their first round playoff series starting Saturday afternoon. Tyronn Lue and his club have practiced a few times this week, including some scrimmages on Wednesday morning.</p><p>The Clippers mainly focused on defense, according to Kawhi Leonard, Norman Powell, and Lue. With the second unit being a focal point for this Clippers team, however, Lue also noted that Ben Simmons and his aggressiveness will be important.</p><p>“Just be aggressive, look at the basket,” <a href="https://x.com/TomerAzarly/status/1912617356427501700">head coach Tyronn Lue said</a>. “If teams are playing him for the pass, we know he can score the basketball around the rim, just be aggressive and look at the basket. And that’s going to open up his passing. It’s instinctive and he has great instincts passing the basketball. So just being aggressive, looking at the rim, attacking the basket, then teams may collapse and then you can make the pass or make the play.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Me: “Do you have to remind Ben Simmons to look to score?”</p><p>Tyronn Lue: “Yeah, we did. We talked about it the last couple of days and today he was aggressive attacking the basket, playing with pace, getting to the rim, making the plays, finishing at the rim. We need him to be… <a href="https://t.co/QQP8Rbo1tO">pic.twitter.com/QQP8Rbo1tO</a></p><p>— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1912617356427501700?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>In his first game with the Clippers against the Utah Jazz, Simmons put up 12 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and three steals in 27 minutes of play.</p><p>Simmons has played 18 games with the Clippers since being acquired on the buyout market around the All-Star break. In his 18 contests, Simmons has averaged 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 16.4 minutes per game.</p><p>During the Clippers’ final game of the regular season against the Golden State Warriors, ESPN broadcaster Bob Myers mentioned the lack of scoring aggressiveness from Simmons. Myers noted that teams know he’s not even looking to score the ball and looking to get his teammates involved instead.</p><p>Head coach Tyronn Lue agreed with the notion when asked about it Wednesday, saying that he needs his backup guard/center to be more aggressive to score the basketball.</p><p>“Yeah, we did. We talked about it the last couple of days and today he was aggressive attacking the basket, playing with pace, getting to the rim, making the plays, finishing at the rim. We need him to be aggressive. The pace is great, but also look at the rim to be a scoring threat.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Tyronn Lue on the difference with Ben Simmons and Nicolas Batum at the 5:</p><p>“Ben's ability to push the basketball in transition, make plays, get people easy shots. With Nico, if he's at the 5, being able to stretch the floor. If Joker's gonna blitz or in the drop, he has to… <a href="https://t.co/mVqtoBAD2I">pic.twitter.com/mVqtoBAD2I</a></p><p>— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1912616339946250729?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>In his first four seasons in the NBA, all with the Philadelphia 76ers, Simmons averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists, and 1.7 steals while playing 33.9 minutes per game. Since departing from Philadelphia, neither the scoring nor the shot attempts have not been there for the 6-foot-10 Australian.</p><p>Since coming over to Los Angeles, Ben Simmons has been used primarily as the backup point guard for the Clippers offensively while acting as the backup center defensively. It’s made for some unique lineups and rotations, but the skillset Simmons possesses allows Tyronn Lue to get a little creative with his lineups.</p><p>Game 1 between Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and the LA Clippers and Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets is set to tip off this Saturday, April 19, at 12:30PM PST on ESPN. Both teams will have two days off after Games 1 and 2 as well as after Games 3 and 4 before a game every other day the rest of the series, if necessary.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Tyronn Lue gets real on Ben Simmons’ role in Nuggets NBA Playoff series

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-clippers/ben-simmons-does-best-nikola-jokic-impression-for-clippers-scout-team');   ga('set', 'title', 'Ben Simmons does best Nikola Jokic impression for Clippers scout team');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1438.jpeg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Ben Simmons does best Nikola Jokic impression for Clippers scout team</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-16T17:31:49-07:00">April 16th, 5:31pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-16T17:31:49-07:00">April 16th, 5:31pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Clippers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>When teams are preparing for the NBA Playoffs, it’s not uncommon for them to have a player on their roster simulate the opposing team’s best player. As the LA Clippers prepare for their opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the Denver Nuggets, they had Ben Simmons <a href="https://x.com/LawMurrayTheNU/status/1912599565678833720" rel="noopener">take the role</a> of Nikola Jokic during their practice session on Wednesday, as per Law Murray of The Athletic.</p><p>In addition to Ben Simmons, the Clippers also used two-way contract forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. as a Jokic imitation as they prepare for their NBA Playoffs series against the Nuggets.</p><p>Also this week, the Los Angeles <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-bronny-james-fills-anthony-edwards-shoes-timberwolves-playoff-clash">Lakers used Bronny James as the Anthony Edwards imitation</a> as they prepare for their opening round against the Minnesota Timberwolves, while the Wolves <a href="https://x.com/jovanbuha/status/1912603825510531427" rel="noopener">used Joe Ingles</a> as their Luka Doncic simulation, as per Jovan Buha of The Athletic.</p><p>While Simmons is certainly playing an important role during Clippers practice, he’s going to be a player they’ll need to step up during the NBA Playoffs. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/clippers-news-ben-simmons-signs-with-clippers-after-nets-buyout">Simmons joined the team following a midseason buyout</a> from the Brooklyn Nets, and has the potential to be one of their top second unit players.</p><p>Since joining the Clippers, Simmons has appeared in 18 games off the bench, at a little over 16 minutes per game. He’s averaged 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists with splits of 43.4 percent shooting from the field and 85.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><p>After the past few seasons of being hampered with injury and being in and out of the lineup, Simmons has the opportunity to play a big role in the playoffs. He has not made a postseason appearance since the 2021 season when the Philadelphia 76ers were eliminated by the Atlanta Hawks.</p><p>The Clippers are coming off a huge win against the Golden State Warriors to end the regular season and avoid the play-in. They secured the No. 5 seed and will open up the series on the road. Last season, the Clippers were the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference and ended up being eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks in six games amid Kawhi Leonard’s knee injury.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ben Simmons does best Nikola Jokic impression for Clippers scout team

Anthony Davis

Blake Griffin

Klay Thompson

John Wall

Ben Simmons

Kyle Kuzma

Ja Morant

Draymond Green

Jimmy Butler III

Trae Young

2x All Star

2017-18 ROY

2017-18 All-Rookie

2019-20 All-Defensive

2x All-Defensive

2019-20 STL Champ

2019-20 All-NBA

3x All Star

Philadelphia 76ers

Brooklyn Nets

Los Angeles Clippers

Career

3 seasons

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2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
6.2	5.2	6.9	0.5	0.8

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
6.2	5.2	6.9	0.5	0.8

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Ben Simmons does best Nikola Jokic impression for Clippers scout team

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