From 180 million max salary to 180 million yuan, no one cares about it! Australia James will retire, and Harden can t help you.

Editor|Old Kankanqiu

NBA is about to usher in a new season, and many league stars are also starting to get ready to enter the preparation mode. For example, Harden, who had just finished his trip to China, immediately returned to his alma mater to train, lost weight again, and looked very good in physical condition; James also participated in the tour to China and made the headlines of the sports page of the People's Daily. The No. 1 pick, who is almost 41 years old, promised to still hope to grow and create new achievements in the new season, and strive to become the best player in the NBA. I have to say that these veterans are still trying their best to do better for the basketball they love, which is really worthy of everyone's respect.

However, there are also some players who, although their abilities and talents are OK, have almost no team willing to accept them. For example, Westbrook, who just rejected the Nuggets' contract option, has not found his next company so far and has no longer accepted a basic salary contract, and has even turned away the team that was willing to sign. Another star who also refused the basic salary was once known as the "Next James". He was 2.11 meters tall but had the passing vision of a point guard. He had the first-class physical fitness. He was selected into the best defensive team twice and entered the All-Star three times. Now, 29-year-old Ben Simmons rejects the one-year minimum salary contract offered by the New York Knicks, and the 2016 No. 1 pick is in jeopardy.

01 Genius No. 1 pick: Next James?

In 2016, after Simmons was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers as the No. 1 pick, he quickly showed his all-round talent. He averaged 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game in his rookie season, and was regarded as the next NBA future star who is most likely to replace James.

With amazing physical fitness and comprehensive defensive ability, like James, Simmons was at his peak when he debuted, was selected as the All-Star many times, and received a five-year, $180 million maximum salary contract in advance. At this time, Simmons was the cornerstone core of the 76ers' "Believe in Process" plan. He can not only lock the opponent in five positions on the defensive end, but also use precise long passes to instigate fast attacks. It can be said to be an "integrated offense and defense".

02 Genius Fall: Cliff-like Slide

In the 2019 playoffs, the 76ers led by Simmons and Embiid met the Raptors led by Leonard in the second round. Originally, the paper strength and team running-in were above the opponent, but in the end, they were unfortunately defeated by Leonard in the tiebreak battle, and completely shattered the pair.

Simmons' technical shortcomings have been infinitely magnified - so far in his career, he has only made 34 three-pointers and 58% free throw shooting percentage allows his opponent to use the "shark-cutting tactic" unscrupulously. In another tiebreak battle in the 2021 Eastern Conference semi-finals, the scene of choosing to pass the ball in the face of an empty basket at the most critical moment became the turning point in Simmons' career.

After undergoing back surgery in the summer of 2021 and the second discectomy in 2024, he lost the explosive power and core stability he relied on to become famous. His breakthrough speed at peak time can reach 6.2 meters/second, but now it has dropped to 5 meters/second, and his neural reflex test score has dropped to the bottom 15%. Injuries completely defeated the No. 1 pick.

03 James Australia: From 180 million max salary to 180 million yuan, no one cares about the salary, Simmons' career income has exceeded US$200 million. He did not play in a single game in the 2021-22 season, but earned $34 million in salary; he played 42 games in the 2022-23 season and earned 35.4 million in 42 games; he played only 15 games in the 2023-24 season and earned 37.8 million in 51 games in the 2024-25 season.

Therefore, some media joked that he was "the harvester of the NBA chaebol" and "the most successful worker".

Last season, Simmons played for the Nets and the Clippers, averaging only 5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game, shooting percentage of 52% and three-point shooting percentage of 0. In the playoffs during the Clippers, he even gave away bleak data of 0.8 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game. Harden, who is known as the "player salary amplifier", could not help him.

This offseason, Simmons, who has always liked to post training photos, was unpredictable and quiet and terrifying. Perhaps, he also realized something - retirement. According to US media ESPN, due to the delay in any team's olive branch, Simmons has officially notified the NBA Players' Union that he terminated the contract with his agent Bernie Lee. This is the second time he terminated his contract with his agent in two and a half years. Perhaps this also indicates that his career may really come to an end.

Even if the talent is once a century old, he is unwilling to improve his technical shortcomings, there are too many things to think about in Simmons. From the 76ers to the Nets to the Clippers, from a maximum salary of $180 million to a minimum salary, the team doesn't want. This Australian talented No. 1 pick who was once regarded as the "next James" may really be leaving the NBA stage.