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The Los Angeles Lakers often get linked to many superstar players around the NBA. The reason for that is due to players wanting to live in Los Angeles, California. Many players buy homes in the city despite playing in other parts of the country.
The most recent NBA star to buy a massive Los Angeles mansion is Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons. According to Dirt, the three-time All-Star just purchased a $17.5 million home in Hidden Hills, California, which is a gated community in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County.
Ben Simmons’ new $17.5M home in Hidden Hills, California
(Via @DirtDotCom )
Notably, the new home is in the same gated community that the Kardashians reside, as Dirt noted. Simmons and Kendall Jenner previously dated before she got serious with Phoenix Suns superstar Devin Booker. It’s likely just a coincidence that Simmons happened to move into the same community that the Kardashians currently live in. Many famous people and athletes have homes in the community, including Drake, Paul George Ozzy Osbourne and many more.
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Is Simmons Looking to Play in Los Angeles?
Just last season, we saw Bradley Beal buy a big Los Angeles mansion. He hasn’t ended up on the Lakers yet so Simmons buying a mansion near the team doesn’t necessarily mean much. However, his situation is very different than Beal’s. Simmons is a Klutch Sports client so he shares an agent with LeBron James, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Talen Horton-Tucker, Montrezl Harrell and Anthony Davis. Not all of those guys are likely to be back with the Lakers next season but the Klutch ties run strong in the franchise.
Simmons would fit in really well with the Los Angeles lifestyle. He’s got the style and connections to become a big star in the city. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s hoping to play for the team in the future. He’s under contract with the 76ers until 2025 and the Lakers don’t really have much to offer in a trade. If he’s hoping to play in Los Angeles eventually, it’s not going to be for a while.
Simmons Isn’t What the Lakers Need
There’s no such thing as a team having too much talent but the Lakers should avoid Simmons for now. He’s the opposite of what they need right now. He’s a defensive stopper who can become a non-factor on offense pretty often. Los Angeles was the best defensive team in the NBA last season with a 106.8 defensive rating. On the flip side, they were among the worst shooting teams in the NBA. They were 21st in the league on 3-points, only making 35.4% of them.
Simmons has made 14.7% of his 3-point attempts in his career and rarely ever shoots them. The Lakers already have plenty of defensive specialists and don’t need another one who can’t shoot. Perhaps in the future, Simmons will fit a need for the team but that’s not the case right now. If Los Angeles is going star hunting this offseason, Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal make a ton more sense.
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Lakers Rumors Heat up After Superstar Buys Massive L.A. Mansion