Ben Simmons is back on a team, just not an NBA one — and the move says as much about modern athlete financials as it does about recovery timelines.
Gone Fishing
For the first time since entering the league in 2016, Simmons is not on an NBA roster in December. Instead, the three-time All-Star has become the controlling operator and majority owner of the South Florida Sails, a franchise in the Sport Fishing Championship (SFC), an offshore saltwater fishing league founded in 2021.
Simmons’ ownership group acquired 50 percent of the South Florida Sails, with the franchise valued in the high seven figures, roughly $7 million to $9.9 million, according to Reuters.
“The way I see it, it’s like the new F1 [Formula 1] for fishing. The new LIV Golf for fishing,” Simmons told Andscape. “The first real competitive sport fishing championship.”
SFC operates a league model of 16 teams competing in 16 tournaments across states including Florida, Texas, Louisiana, and Massachusetts. Teams earn points based on catches of white marlin, blue marlin, sailfish, and striped marlin, with a season champion crowned at year’s end.
From a business standpoint, the league is built around a revenue-share model, allowing teams to participate in corporate sponsorships, merchandising, licensing, and media-rights revenue, according to the Sport Fishing Championship. The league has also underwritten more than $1 million in prize money, later announcing larger purses as it scales.
SFC has secured a media-rights partnership with ESPN, with tournament coverage airing on ESPN+, providing national exposure and a potential long-term revenue engine.
The NBA free agent, whose net worth is estimated to be around $80 million and whose career earnings have been $203,356,689, joins other high-profile SFC owners across sports and entertainment, but for him, control mattered as much as participation.
“I was in Miami and got the opportunity to invest,” he said. “And then when I saw what they were doing and what they were building, I wanted to be a majority owner.”
The timing coincides with a reset in Simmons’ basketball career.
After being selected No. 1 overall in the 2016 NBA draft, he won Rookie of the Year in 2018, earned three All-Star selections, and was named to the All-Defensive first team in 2020. But recurring injuries, particularly chronic back issues, and a high-profile standoff with Philadelphia altered his trajectory. Last season, he appeared in limited minutes with the Los Angeles Clippers while continuing rehabilitation.
Rather than rush a return, Simmons says his financial position allows patience.
“I’m very blessed to not have to be in that situation where I need to fight right now,” he said. “I want to get to the best of my ability and physical peak to compete.”
That flexibility is backed by more than $200 million in career NBA earnings, along with endorsement income and real estate holdings, according to Spotrac.
Ownership, he says, offers a different type of leverage.
“How cool is it being in a financial position to be an owner?” Simmons said. “It is badass.”
Unlike NBA contracts, ownership income is neither guaranteed nor immediate. Early-stage leagues often reinvest revenue rather than distribute profits. The primary upside lies in franchise value growth if SFC expands its media footprint and sponsorship base.
For now, Simmons is splitting his days between two-a-day basketball workouts and hands-on involvement with the South Florida Sails.
Whether Simmons returns to the NBA around the All-Star break or next season remains uncertain. What is clear is that he is no longer relying solely on a jump shot for his future. He is building equity and positioning himself for what comes next.
