James Harden Makes His Thoughts Clear on Ben Simmons

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated Feb 13, 2025 9:40 AM ET

Back in February 2022, Ben Simmons was traded to the Brooklyn Nets so the Philadelphia 76ers could acquire James Harden. Three years later, Simmons and Harden are now teammates with the Los Angeles Clippers.

After he agreed to a contract buyout with the Nets, Simmons decided to join the Clippers on a veteran minimum deal. This allowed him to team up with both Harden and two-way star Kawhi Leonard.

In his introductory press conference on Tuesday, Simmons expressed his excitement about signing with the Clippers and playing alongside Harden, noting that it's "gonna be great," according to SI's Joey Linn.

The three-time All-Star also expressed his belief that the everyone in the Clippers "is gonna push each other to be better and expect greatness."

As for Harden, it appears the 2018 NBA MVP is equally excited to pair up with Simmons and see how he can impact the Clippers. According to him, Simmons brings a certain set of skills that can be beneficial for L.A.

"I’m excited, man," Harden said of Simmons, per Linn. "Ben brings a skillset that other than myself, I feel like we don’t have. His passing ability, his speed, being able to push the ball up and get guys in the offense."

The 11-time All-Star is also confident that Simmons "can still get after it" defensively. It's worth noting that Simmons was an NBA All-Defensive First Team member not too long ago. In fact, he achieved the recognition twice (2019-20 and 2020-21) in his career.

James Harden on Ben Simmons:

“I’m excited, man. Ben brings a skillset that other than myself, I feel like we don’t have. His passing ability, his speed, being able to push the ball up and get guys in the offense. And defensively he can still get after it. I’m excited to add him… pic.twitter.com/vMloKhqg8w
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) February 13, 2025

One of the biggest concerns for Simmons is his health. In the previous two seasons, he has played in just 57 out of the possible 164 games, with back issues largely preventing him from staying on the court.

This 2024-25 campaign, he has played 33 games for the Nets and started in 24, averaging 6.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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