Ben Simmons is returning to the NBA, signing a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Sacramento Kings after sitting out the entire 2025-26 season.
It is, as the internet’s meme department would put it, “one of the free agent signings of all time.”
Simmons is back because… well, there wasn’t exactly a line of teams waiting to sign him. The former No. 1 overall pick, three-time All-Star and Rookie of the Year hasn’t played an NBA game since April 2025. He spent last season away from the league, joining a fishing competition (not a joke) while dealing with back and leg issues, making his comeback as much about proving he can still play as proving someone should want him.
The Kings, meanwhile, are back to doing what the Kings do best: rebuilding.
Sacramento went 22-60 last season, its worst record in 14 years, and subsequently watched DeMar DeRozan leave and Russell Westbrook choose retirement over returning to the team. The franchise is now seemingly building around Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine and seventh overall pick Darius Acuff Jr., although even Sabonis and LaVine could potentially be moved as the Kings figure out what exactly they’re trying to build.
Keegan Murray and DeAndre Hunter are established ‘3 and D’ guys, while Maxime Raynaud, Nique Clifford, and Devin Carter are other young,decent pieces, but no one is on pace to be a legit cornerstone, and are ultimately dispensable.
That makes Simmons an oddly sensible addition. The 30-year-old isn’t being brought in to resurrect the Kings by himself. Instead, he should provide another ball-handler, defender and playmaker behind Acuff, Sacramento’s presumed long-term answer at point guard. There is even a possibility that Simmons and the 19-year-old Acuff share the floor.
If Simmons can stay healthy, there is still something useful in there.
His last NBA season had zero hope and excitement – 5.0 points, 5.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 51 games – but his passing and defensive versatility remain valuable skills. Before injuries derailed his career, Simmons was one of the league’s most unique point guards: a 6-foot-10 playmaker capable of effectively guarding multiple positions and pushing the ball in transition.
Sacramento has plenty of young players who could use exactly that sort of veteran presence.
The problem is that Simmons himself needs a stable environment to rediscover his game, and the Kings don’t exactly have one. Their roster is a strange mixture of veterans, prospects and potential trade pieces, with no guarantee that the team that opens the season will resemble the team that finishes it.
But maybe that’s precisely why this works. Simmons gets one more NBA audition without a long-term commitment. The Kings get a low-risk veteran who can help their young players while they figure out their next direction.
Ultimately, it feels like neither party is exactly where it wants to be. They just happen to be in the same place.
