Ben Simmons Signs One-Year Deal with Sacramento Kings

Ben Simmons is back.

The Australian guard has agreed a one-year deal with the Sacramento Kings worth $3.5 million (around $4.8 million AUD), according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, marking a return to the NBA for a 10th season after sitting out the entire 2025-26 campaign.

Charania reported that Simmons travelled to Sacramento on Monday for an extensive visit, putting his body and game under the microscope. The 30-year-old underwent detailed medical testing, took part in an on-court workout and sat down with head coach Doug Christie and other key staff. In late August, he also worked out for general manager Scott Perry and held a separate hour-long meeting with him.

Inside both the Kings organisation and Team Australia, where Simmons joined a players-only minicamp last month, the early feedback has been consistent: he looks strong and feels healthy.

For Sacramento, it is a calculated swing on pedigree. Simmons was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, the league’s Rookie of the Year, a three-time All-Star and a one-time All-NBA selection. At his best, he bends games with size, vision and defence in a way few playmakers can.

His last NBA minutes came with the Los Angeles Clippers in early 2025. Since then, his name has lived more in speculation than in box scores.

Now comes a different chapter. A former franchise cornerstone trying to carve out a role on a hungry Kings team, in a league that has moved on quickly. Sacramento has given him a year and a jersey.

What Simmons does with it will define the next line of his career, not the last one.