Joe Mazzulla’s coaching brilliance has been on full display this season, with the Boston Celtics showcasing remarkable player development and depth. Even without Jayson Tatum for extended stretches, the roster didn’t just survive—it thrived. Role players stepped into bigger roles, unexpected contributors emerged, and the team proved its system and culture can unlock hidden potential in ways few expected.
Players like Luka Garza and Jordan Walsh, who entered the year with minimal hype, broke out under Mazzulla’s guidance. The entire squad elevated, highlighting not only Mazzulla’s elite development skills but also Boston’s ability to maximize talent that others overlooked.
Ben Simmons could have been the ultimate test case for that magic. Last summer, the Celtics showed serious interest in the former No. 1 pick and All-Star—among the most aggressive pursuits in the league, alongside teams like the Knicks. His elite size, vision, passing, defensive versatility, and rebounding made him a tantalizing reclamation project. The All-Star version may be gone, but in a supporting role within Boston’s selfless, positionless system, Simmons had the ingredients for a legitimate resurgence.
Imagine him thriving in spot minutes: facilitating without the pressure of being the primary creator, anchoring switches on defense, crashing the glass, and benefiting from Mazzulla’s player-friendly schemes that have turned long shots into rotation pieces. With Tatum sidelined at times, Simmons would have had ample touches to showcase his skills, rebuild confidence, and prove he still had value in today’s NBA.
Instead, he passed. Reports indicate Boston’s interest was real and intense, yet Simmons opted out—possibly wary of the expectations, the winning culture, or simply prioritizing his own timeline amid ongoing back issues and uncertainty about his future. Whatever the reason, he turned down what looked like the perfect landing spot to revive his career.
Now, the consequences are stark. Simmons remains unsigned deep into the 2025-26 season, effectively out of the league and without any reported interest from teams. He’s shifted focus to owning and operating a professional fishing team in the Sport Fishing Championship, while vaguely leaving the door open for a potential return later this year or in 2026-27. But the window has slammed shut for now. No suitors are calling, and the narrative has shifted from “hiatus” to something closer to blacklisted status.
Boston, meanwhile, has moved on seamlessly. They never needed Simmons to succeed—they’ve gotten elite contributions across the board, reinforcing why contenders like them can afford to be selective. Signing him was always a low-risk experiment with high upside; his rejection made the decision easy.
The irony is brutal: the one franchise willing to bet on his upside under one of the league’s best developers is the same one he walked away from. That missed opportunity may have been the final nail in the coffin for his NBA viability. While Simmons is entitled to his choices—and his health comes first—the basketball world has largely moved on without him.
For Boston? No regrets. They keep winning, developing, and proving their system works—with or without the reclamation project that could have been.