After a busy offseason that has seen the Minnesota Timberwolves transform how the team looks and will likely play, they almost made another big addition to the lineup.

At the start of the offseason, Minnesota traded away their top two power forwards, dealing Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets in a salary dump after his poor playoff performance against the San Antonio Spurs, and then trading Naz Reid to the Charlotte Hornets to acquire LaMelo Ball.

The team worked diligently to fill the void at the forward position by first targeting LeBron James, but ultimately landing on Jonathan Kuminga after LeBron went to Philadelphia.

Despite the addition of Kuminga, the frontcourt depth could use some help as the team will be relying on Trey Lyles and Joan Beringer off the bench.

Ben Simmons is set to return to the NBA, agreeing to a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Sacramento Kings.

According to ESPN, the Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors had interest in Simmons, which could’ve led to a training camp invitation, but the Kings were the only team willing to offer him a contract.

Simmons didn’t play in the league last season, opting to rehab his back and leg injuries. He was a full participant in a minicamp with the Australian men’s basketball national team in early August.

Now 30, Simmons was the number one overall pick in 2016. He last played for the Los Angeles Clippers and Brooklyn Nets in 2024-25. He began the season with the Nets, but was bought out before signing with Clippers to finish the year. In 18 games with the Clippers, Simmons played 16 minutes a night, averaging 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists on 43% shooting.

Simmons hasn’t been the same player since he missed the entire 2021-22 season with a back injury and ended up in Brooklyn the following year.

At his peak, he was a one through five defender who could get to the rim, bully undersized guards, and set up his teammates. Fans haven’t seen that player in six years, and it’d be foolish to think he could be that player again.

But for a team needing frontcourt help, Simmons would’ve been a worthwhile swing. His defensive versatility and ability to play in transition would’ve been a strong fit on the new-look Timberwolves squad.

It would’ve been a low-risk move for Minnesota, and there is a high chance that he ended up being ineffective, but there was just enough reason to think it could work for Minnesota to take a shot.