Ben Simmons Signs With Kings: NBA Comeback Is Official

After a year of workout videos, Instagram teasers, and no shortage of skepticism, Ben Simmons is officially an NBA player again. The three-time All-Star has agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Sacramento Kings, ending a full season away from the league and kicking off what could be one of the more fascinating redemption arcs of the 2026-27 campaign.

For a player who spent the better part of five years generating headlines for reasons that had nothing to do with his jump shot, this is a fresh chapter — and a low-risk one for a Kings team that still had a roster spot to fill.

The Deal at a Glance

Detail	Info
Team	Sacramento Kings
Contract	1 year, $3.5 million (veteran minimum)
Age	30
NBA Seasons	10th
Last Played	2024-25 (Nets/Clippers)
College	LSU
Draft	No. 1 overall, 2016 (Philadelphia 76ers)

Simmons had reportedly drawn interest from the New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors before landing in Sacramento, and it's easy to see why the Kings ultimately won out. General manager Scott Perry flew to Florida in late August specifically to watch Simmons work out, and the two later sat down for a lengthy in-person meeting. From there, Simmons traveled to Sacramento for medical exams, another on-court session, and face time with head coach Doug Christie before the two sides came to terms.

A Long Road Back

This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment comeback. Simmons has been building toward this for the better part of a year. He sat out the entire 2025-26 season rehabbing chronic back and nerve issues, and by his own account, the recovery was as much mental as physical. Speaking to Men's Health in late June, he described the toll of playing through nerve pain and the stress that came with it, saying he'd almost have preferred a straightforward broken bone over the murkier back injury that derailed his last several seasons.

His plan at the time was straightforward: rebuild his body, get back on the floor, and let a team come calling. That's essentially what happened. Reports of Simmons training in Miami and later working out alongside fellow Australian NBA players — including Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels — during a national team minicamp in Melbourne kept his name in circulation all summer. By late August, momentum had shifted from speculation to something more concrete, with a source telling Sacramento radio host Carmichael Dave that Simmons "looked fantastic" in his workout with the Kings.

Predictably, that report was met with plenty of eye-rolling from NBA fans who've heard some version of "Ben Simmons looks great in practice" nearly every offseason since 2021. The skepticism isn't unfounded — since that infamous 2021 playoff exit in Philadelphia, Simmons has appeared in just 108 of a possible 246 games across stops with the Nets and Clippers. But this is also a player who, healthy, was once compared to a young LeBron James for his combination of size, vision, and defensive versatility.

From No. 1 Pick to Reclamation Project

Simmons' career arc is well-worn territory at this point, but it's worth a quick refresher for anyone who hasn't followed closely.

After a redshirt season at LSU, where he was the consensus top prospect in the 2016 draft, Simmons went first overall to Philadelphia. A foot injury cost him his entire rookie year, but he returned to win Rookie of the Year in 2018 and quickly became a three-time All-Star, two-time All-Defensive selection, and All-NBA Third Team player by age 23 — pairing with Joel Embiid to help drag the 76ers back into relevance.

Then came Game 7 of the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals against Atlanta, an infamous passed-up dunk, and a public unraveling that included a trade demand and a lengthy holdout. Philadelphia eventually shipped him to Brooklyn in the blockbuster deal that brought James Harden to the Sixers. From there, injuries and inconsistency defined stops with the Nets and, later, the Clippers, where he finished out the 2024-25 season in a diminished role.

Season Range	Team(s)	Notes
2016-2022	Philadelphia 76ers	3x All-Star, ROY, 2x All-Defensive
2022-2024	Brooklyn Nets	Injury-plagued tenure
2024-25	LA Clippers	Reserve role, back/leg injuries
2025-26	—	Sat out entire season
2026-27	Sacramento Kings	Comeback season

Why Sacramento Makes Sense

The Kings' pursuit wasn't random. Sacramento entered the fall short-handed at point guard, having just watched longtime veteran Russell Westbrook walk away from the game entirely despite reported mutual interest in a reunion. The Kings used their first-round pick this year on Darius Acuff Jr., who projects as the presumptive starter at the position, but the depth behind him was thin heading into training camp — the same situation that led Sacramento to sign Westbrook late last offseason.

Simmons, at 6-foot-10 with legitimate playmaking and defensive instincts, gives Christie a versatile option who can theoretically slide between backup point guard and small-ball forward duties. It's not a move that will sell season tickets on its own, but for a rebuilding-adjacent roster, it's the kind of low-cost flier that carries real upside if even a fraction of peak Simmons shows up.

What's at Stake

Beyond the immediate roster fit, there's a broader storyline here. Simmons has made clear he wants to lock down a starting role for Australia's national team ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and a healthy, productive NBA season would go a long way toward that goal.

There's also the emotional subplot Philadelphia fans won't be able to ignore. Speculation about a sentimental reunion with the 76ers had picked up in recent weeks, fueled by Simmons' visible progress and his ties to the city. That door is now closed — but not entirely shut. The Kings and Sixers are slated to meet twice this season, including a January 27 matchup in Philadelphia that will mark Simmons' first game back in that building since one of the messier breakups in recent NBA memory.

For now, the deal is straightforward: modest money, one year, and a chance to prove that the version of Simmons who once drew LeBron comparisons still exists somewhere underneath the injuries and the internet jokes. Kings fans won't have to wait long to start finding out — training camp opens within weeks.

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