Ben Simmons, once the top NBA draft pick, traded to his third club amid ongoing criticism.

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Clippers made a significant move by signing Ben Simmons, the Australian former No.1 overall draft pick who faced challenges with health and performance during his two-and-a-half-year stint with the Brooklyn Nets.

At 28 years of age, Simmons joins an experienced roster featuring notable talents such as Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Norman Powell. The Clippers positioned themselves at seventh in the Western Conference standings with a record of 29-23 as of Tuesday.

This signing followed Simmons being waived by the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, after both parties agreed on a buyout of his contract.

This season, Simmons is earning AUD$63 million and will become a free agent at the end of the season.

Currently, he is averaging 6.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.9 assists.

Simmons was awarded rookie of the year in the 2017-18 season while playing for the Philadelphia 76ers and was named an All-Star for the subsequent three seasons.

A renowned defender and playmaker, Simmons has struggled to develop his long-range shooting abilities and faced significant criticism for his lack of assertiveness during the Sixers’ defeat to the Atlanta Hawks in the 2021 Eastern Conference semi-finals.

The 210cm Australian guard has not attempted a three-pointer since the 2022-23 season and possesses a career shooting percentage of just 13.9 per cent from beyond the arc, having made only 5 of 36 attempts.

The Nets acquired Simmons in a trade for James Harden at the 2022 deadline, following a back injury that hindered his return to competitive form after missing the first half of that season while with Philadelphia.

His injury problems—primarily attributed to lower back nerve damage—have continued to impact his performance.

In the previous season, Simmons managed to play only half of the games, featuring in just 33 out of 52 possible games for the Nets this season.

Following the recent trade deadline, Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank made several strategic moves aimed at strengthening the team’s bench, adding players such as Bogdan Bogdanovic, Patty Mills, Drew Eubanks, and MarJon Beauchamp.