Ben Simmons Signs with Sacramento Kings: A New Opportunity
Ben Simmons is back in the NBA. And he’s landing in a place that badly needs someone to steer the ship.
The former No. 1 overall pick has agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Sacramento Kings, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania and Marc Spears, ending a full season out of the league in 2025-26.
This isn’t a splashy max contract or a franchise-altering trade. It’s a gamble. A calculated one.
A Careful Courtship in Sacramento
Sacramento didn’t just roll the dice blindly.
Charania reported that Simmons flew to Sacramento on Monday for a full-scale evaluation: in-depth medical exams, an on-court workout, and meetings with head coach Doug Christie and other members of the staff. In late August, he’d already worked out for general manager Scott Perry and sat down with him for an hour.
The Kings wanted to see how his body moved, how his mind was wired, and whether the version of Simmons they’d be getting could still impact winning. Only then did they commit.
From Rising Star to Question Mark
Simmons’ story is well-worn but still jarring.
He entered the league in 2016 as the top pick, quickly evolving into an All-Star and a cornerstone in Philadelphia. His blend of size, vision, and defensive versatility looked tailor-made for the modern NBA.
Then the injuries piled up.
Since the 2020-21 season, he hasn’t played more than 60 games in a year. He missed the entire 2021-22 campaign, and every comeback has seemed to arrive with a caveat: minutes restrictions, lingering issues, fresh setbacks.
In 2024-25, he appeared in 51 games between the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers, his highest total since 2020-21. The production was modest—5.0 points, 5.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game—but the box score only tells part of the story. He still moved the ball, still defended multiple positions, still saw passing angles most players don’t.
Then came silence. No deal. No roster spot. He sat out the entire 2025-26 season.
“Bulletproof” or Bust
Simmons made it clear he wasn’t interested in a half-measure return.
In December, he told The Athletic’s Sam Jane he didn’t want to step back on the floor until he felt “bulletproof.” By June, the tone had shifted: he was officially targeting an NBA comeback and openly floated Miami and Philadelphia as possible destinations.
“I plan on getting as strong as I can physically, getting my ass on the court, and then the team realizing that my abilities will be needed,” he told Clay Skipper of Men’s Health. “I don’t have a plan on where. ... Maybe I’ll go back to Philly. Miami would be nice. And not because it’s Miami—I like Erik Spoelstra, I like the Heat, I like their organization, I like the culture.”
Miami never pulled the trigger. Philadelphia didn’t either.
Sacramento did.
A Different Kind of Fit
This version of Simmons is not the All-Star who once terrorized fast breaks and anchored elite defenses in Philly. The Kings know that. They’re not signing him to be a 20-point scorer or a franchise savior.
They’re signing him to fill a void.
Since trading De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento has been light on true floor generals. Rookie Darius Acuff Jr. brings promise but also inexperience. The offense has missed a conductor who can organize, initiate, and calm the storm when possessions fray.
Simmons can still do that.
He remains a gifted passer, capable of unlocking shooters and cutters with his size and vision. At 6’10", he can defend across the lineup, switch actions, and give the Kings a different look on that end. He offers lineup flexibility: point forward, small-ball big, defensive specialist. On a one-year, $3.5 million deal, that’s value.
The Kings aren’t paying for star power. They’re paying for possibilities.
What This Means for the Kings
Does this move turn Sacramento into a contender? That’s a stretch.
What it does do is make the roster more complete. Christie now has a bigger ball-handler to pair with Acuff Jr., another defender to throw at wings and guards, and a playmaker who can help keep the offense flowing when the game slows down.
If Simmons can stay on the floor and edge closer to the player he once was—even in flashes—the Kings will have secured one of the more intriguing low-risk, high-upside signings of the offseason.
If he can’t, the contract is short, the cost is low, and Sacramento moves on.
For Simmons, though, this is more than a flyer. It’s a lifeline. After a year away, after public doubts and private rehabs, after talking about feeling “bulletproof,” he finally has what he wanted:
A court. A jersey. A chance to prove there’s still a chapter left in his NBA story—this time, in Sacramento purple.
