Ben Simmons is set to be a full participant without any restrictions at a player-led minicamp for the Australian men’s basketball team this week, according to ESPN’s Marc J. Spears.
Simmons is an Australian native and is working to make the team for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. He’s played for the Boomers twice in his career at the 2013 FIBA Men’s Oceania Championships when he was 17, but he missed the next three Olympics.
The private minicamp will start on Monday in Melbourne. Simmons, per the report, paid his own way to attend.
Simmons, who the Philadelphia 76ers selected with the No. 1 overall pick back in 2016, has struggled in recent years. He last played for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2025, but only appeared in 23 total games and was rather unproductive. He then missed all of last season while recovering from various injuries. At one point, Simmons even said he’d play for the 76ers again for free, given the opportunity.
Simmons hasn’t played in more than 60 games in a season since the 2018-19 campaign while battling injuries. According to Simmons’ godfather David Patrick, who is both an assistant at Arizona State and for the Australian national team, Simmons has regained his athleticism.
It’s unclear if Simmons will make it back into the NBA next season. If he’s truly healthy, some teams could attempt to land him on a minimum deal. A source told Spears that a non-guaranteed offer for minicamp with a Western Conference team is on the table, too.
But before then, this minicamp in Melbourne is the first step to a potential NBA comeback.
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