Ben Simmons, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft and a three-time All-Star, spent the entire 2025-26 season out of the NBA after last playing for the LA Clippers in 2024-25.
He told Men's Health in a story published Monday that the time off was something he needed, not something that happened to him.
"I plan on getting as strong as I can physically, getting my ass on the court, and then the team realizing that my abilities will be needed," Simmons said. "I don't have a plan on where."
Simmons, who turns 30 in July, said he needed to get away and "find himself again" after years of injuries derailed what had once looked like a generational career.
He averaged just 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists across 18 games with the Clippers before his most recent season away, a steep drop from his career averages of 13.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists.
He was a two-time All-Defensive selection and the 2017-18 Rookie of the Year before the back injuries that have followed him for much of the past several seasons.
He told the magazine he has spoken with coaches who believe he can still play in the NBA if he gets healthy, and floated two possible destinations. "Maybe I'll go back to Philly," he said.
"Miami would be nice. And not because it's Miami. I like Erik Spoelstra, I like the Heat, I like their organization, I like the culture."
He was clear that the comeback attempt is entirely his own decision. "I think this is just what I'm choosing to do, like, no one's forcing me. It's never been about, do I love playing basketball? That's never a question. That's in my DNA."