Milwaukee already lost its top target of the summer, and a former No. 1 pick is still looking for a team willing to take a chance on him.
The Milwaukee Bucks spent this offseason chasing help up front, and every one of their top names ended up somewhere else.
Peyton Watson signed away to Cleveland, Jonathan Kuminga landed with Minnesota, and Bennedict Mathurin found a home in New Orleans.
That leaves Milwaukee thin behind Kyle Kuzma as camp gets closer, and it also leaves one interesting name still sitting without a job.
Ben Simmons wants back in the league, and the Bucks have as much reason as anyone to give him a real look this fall.
Frontcourt Search
None of this is a secret around the team.
The Bucks tried to make some interesting moves, and Watson, Kuminga, and Mathurin all agreed to deals elsewhere within the same week, leaving Milwaukee without the wing or forward boost it wanted after trading Giannis Antetokounmpo to Miami in July.
That trade already reshaped the roster around Tyler Herro, Myles Turner, and a group of younger pieces still learning to play together.
Missing on three targets in one stretch is a rough way to end a search, but it also means the front office still has a hole worth filling, and Simmons remains unsigned even though the Sacramento Kings have already brought him in for a look.
What Simmons Still Has to Offer
Simmons turned 30 this summer and sat out the entire 2025-26 season while recovering from back surgery, but he never stopped talking about a return.
He told Men's Health, "When I'm out there, I make everybody better. I play defense. I get offensive rebounds."
That is still the pitch.
Even in his last healthy stretch with Brooklyn and the Clippers, Simmons kept doing the things that never needed a jump shot, since rebounding and pushing the ball ahead were always his calling cards.
His career numbers back that up, since he has averaged 7.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game across seven NBA seasons, numbers that plenty of bigger names never touch.
A team looking for a low-cost gamble on a former All-Star gets a player who has proven he can rebound, defend, and set up teammates, as long as his back cooperates.
Where He Could Fit in Milwaukee
One projected starting lineup has Kuzma at power forward next to Turner at center, with Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr. filling out the wings.
Simmons would not walk into a starting job, but he would give new coach Taylor Jenkins a real option off the bench who can rebound, defend, and run the second unit without needing plays drawn up for him.
Milwaukee went 32-50 and finished 11th in the East last season, so the front office is not chasing a title this year.
Development and learning are at the forefront, and a healthy Simmons could help the younger guys by taking pressure off the ball.
Plenty around the league have floated other frontcourt fixes too, like whether a trade for Jalen Duren makes sense, but that path costs real assets and draft capital.
Simmons only costs a minimum contract.
For a rebuilding team with clear needs and very little to lose, that is hard to argue with.
