Ben Simmons Is Back In The NBA After A Year Off Signing A $3.5 Million Deal With The Sacramento Kings
Ben Simmons is back in the NBA. The 30-year-old three-time All-Star agreed Friday to a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Sacramento Kings, the only team to offer him a deal after what has been a career defined by enormous talent, persistent injuries and a dramatic falling out with the Philadelphia 76ers that damaged his reputation permanently.
Simmons sat out all of 2025-26 rehabilitating back and leg injuries. He last played in March and April 2025 with the Los Angeles Clippers, 18 games, then done.
This summer he traveled to Melbourne to participate in the Australian national team's minicamp, practiced without restrictions and made clear he wanted to play again.
The Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors expressed interest in a training camp invite. Sacramento was the only team to offer a contract.
The Kings went 22-60 last season and are building around seventh overall pick Darius Acuff Jr., Simmons is expected to serve as his veteran backup and fill positions one through five when healthy.
Coach Doug Christie and GM Scott Perry both met with Simmons in August and came away believing in the upside. At 6-foot-10 with a career average of 7.2 assists and elite defensive instincts, the upside is real. The question it has always been, will he stay healthy and will he shoot, remains exactly that.
He averaged 13.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists across 383 career games with the Sixers, Nets and Clippers. He has not played more than 58 games in a season since 2018-19.
