Sixers

Rich Paul Says Ben Simmons Can Still Be a $30 Million Player as a Rolling Big

By Matt Schultz

Published: Jul 6th, 2026 · 2:48 PM EDT

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Ben Simmons is more than just a guy who likes to talk about fishing in Men’s Health magazine, at least according to Rich Paul. On his Game Over podcast with Max Kellerman, the super agent and founder of Klutch Sports says that right now, if Ben Simmons committed to playing the five and rolling hard, he could be a $30 million player:

Rich Paul says he told Ben Simmons he could still be a $30,000,000 NBA player

“I remember having a conversation, me and Ben talking. I said, ‘Ben, you got so much left in the tank, bro. If you just become a pick and roll five at the end of games, because your playmaking ability… pic.twitter.com/ptI25u3wI3

— dank (@cptdankkk) July 5, 2026

“I remember having a conversation, me and Ben talking… I said, ‘Ben, you got so much left in the tank bro. So much left in the tank. And by the way, if you just become a pick and roll five at the end of games, because you’re able to – your playmaking ability makes you a different rolling big. We see so many rolling bigs with low IQ. You actually have a high IQ. So at worst case scenario, if you just become – we know he was first team All-Defense. So you just become that, where you’re rolling down the lane, dunk, man rotates over, kick to the – if you just become that, you’re a $30 million player. Just become that.‘”

This is some good stuff here from Rich Paul. It’s good that he’s got a podcast. This is what the people want. This is what I want. I wish every day there were podcasts talking about Ben Simmons’ potential. After everything we’ve been through with Ben, I’ve landed in a place where this stuff is pretty enjoyable to me. I read it and quietly smile and laugh a small, bemused laugh. With this clip in particular, there are two things I really like:

First off, I love the idea that a pick and roll five in the NBA earns $30M a year. That rules. Love imagining every team in the NBA flying out to Clint Capela’s house in the offseason to give their pitch.“We need you, Clint… We need someone to roll to the basket… a rim-running big who can’t shoot is absolutely crucial to have in 2026…”

For the record, here’s every big man in the NBA making around $30M a year or more:

• Karl-Anthony Towns: $53.1M
• Nikola Jokić: $51.4M
• Joel Embiid: $51.4M
• Giannis Antetokounmpo: $48.8M
• Rudy Gobert: $43.8M
• Anthony Davis: $43.2M
• Pascal Siakam: $42.2M
• Lauri Markkanen: $42.2M
• Zion Williamson: $36.7M
• Michael Porter Jr.: $35.9M
• Evan Mobley: $35.5M
• Scottie Barnes: $35.5M
• Bam Adebayo: $34.8M
• Deandre Ayton: $34.0M
• Domantas Sabonis: $30.6M
• Jerami Grant: $29.8M
• Kristaps Porziņģis: $29.3M
• Nic Claxton: $29.0M
• Julius Randle: $28.9M

How many of these guys are pure rim-running lob threats, in the vein of what Rich Paul wants Ben Simmons to be? Anthony Davis, Bam Adebayo, and Evan Mobley roll, but they’re way better scorers than Ben ever was or could be, so they don’t count. Rudy Gobert is a prototypical rim runner who can’t shoot, but he’s one of the best rim protectors in the league – Ben is not. Nic Claxton is a one-of-one switching big that can cover one through five and still protect the rim. Deandre Ayton infamously has one of the worst contracts in the NBA, an overpay we’ll see less and less of in the second apron era. Sorry, Rich… I don’t see it!

The second thing I particularly enjoyed about this clip is the nostalgia of it. Hearing Rich Paul air out this opinion takes me back to a special time — 2019, somewhere around there — when every Sixers group text in the world argued this exact point at least once a week. This is everything we begged Ben to do when he was here. He was fast. He was huge. He was an insane athlete. But for reasons I still don’t understand, the man simply wouldn’t (or couldn’t) roll.

I just went back and checked the numbers on it, and it’s even worse than I remembered. As a Sixer, Ben averaged a microscopic 0.1 to 0.2 possessions per game as a roller, representing about 1% or less of his total offensive plays. He was regularly in a percentile between 40th and 70th. The number did increase when he went to Brooklyn, from 1.3% during his final Philly season to a whopping 5.2% as a Net, but it just never became part of his game.

As much as Rich Paul may want us to forget, the facts are the facts: in the half court, Ben Simmons was a giant, soft point guard who couldn’t get to the rim, had no gravity because defenses never respected his dogshit shot, and without the ball would just camp in the dunker spot and clog the lane and shrink the floor for everyone else. That’s who he was, and that’s who he’d always be.

But I hope Rich Paul is right and someone pays him $30M a year. As long as it’s not the Sixers, that’d be pretty fun.