Sacramento Kings sign Ben Simmons to one-year, $3.5 million deal

The Sacramento Kings are signing former No. 1 pick Ben Simmons to a one-year, $3.5 million deal, ESPN reported on Friday. The three-time NBA All-Star didn't play last season as he rehabilitated from lingering back and leg injuries

Simmons, 30, had been vocal this offseason about a potential NBA comeback. Last month, Simmons traveled to Melbourne to participate in the Australian national team's player-led minicamp. Simmons hasn't played for Australia's national team since he was a teenager back in 2013 and missed the last three Olympic cycles for various reasons.

The last time Simmons played in the NBA was during the 2024-25 season, when he appeared in 51 games combined for the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers. Simmons averaged 5.0 points, 5.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds that season.

Sacramento's interest in Simmons -- albeit under the previous front office led by former general manager Monte McNair -- dates back to 2022. The Kings reportedly pursued the former Philadelphia 76ers star at the 2022 trade deadline, but pivoted elsewhere. Instead, the Kings traded Tyrese Haliburton to the Indiana Pacers in a package centered around Domantas Sabonis.

Days after Sacramento made the trade for Sabonis, the 76ers shipped Simmons to Brooklyn in exchange for James Harden. Simmons has played in just 108 NBA games across four seasons after being traded from the team that drafted him back in 2016.

The New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors also considered signing Simmons, the Athletic reported, before he agreed to terms with the Kings, his fourth NBA team, in what could prove to be a mutually beneficial move.

Why Simmons could be low-risk, high-reward signing for Kings

For the second consecutive offseason, Sacramento is signing a former NBA All-Star deep into the offseason.

Last year, the Kings signed Russell Westbrook right before training camp began to add more depth to their thin point guard room. With Westbrook electing to call it a career this offseason -- despite reported interest from Sacramento and the Washington Wizards -- the Kings once again needed to add depth to the room with training camp just weeks away.

Sacramento drafted Darius Acuff Jr. with the No. 7 pick. The rookie projects to be the team's starting point guard on opening night. However, the depth behind Acuff at point guard is thin. Malik Monk is the only player on Sacramento's roster who has operated in spot minutes at the position over the last several seasons.

That's why the signing of Simmons -- despite it coming late in the offseason and him not playing in the NBA for nearly 18 months -- makes sense. Although the Westbrook signing last offseason didn't make sense on paper after Sacramento signed Dennis Schröder to a multi-year deal months before, Westbrook certainly outplayed his minimum contract.

Sacramento hopes Simmons can do the same. The 6-foot-10 Simmons has operated as a point forward throughout his career and could provide depth and potentially mentorship for Acuff and the rest of the Kings' young core as the franchise tries to take the next step toward turning over an old and very expensive roster that is expected to be one of the worst teams in the Western Conference.

If Simmons rehabilitates his value with Sacramento as a backup, he could be used as a trade piece at the deadline, or potentially cash in on more than just a veteran minimum contract next offseason. And if it doesn't work? It will be like it never happened because, again, he's on a veteran minimum deal.

Simmons has been one of the most polarizing NBA players during the last decade. He has had plenty of highs and lows, particularly during his time in Philadelphia -- a tenure that ended on rocky terms. After a year out of the league, this season could be a defining moment for Simmons, as it could be the difference between the end of his professional career and prolonging it a few more seasons.

Simmons, with his unique skill set, was a consistent triple-double threat with the 76ers, but saw his scoring -- and willingness to even shoot the ball -- decrease precipitously with the Nets and Clippers.

How Simmons plays and how he buys into a new role with a team not expected to compete this season will determine when the clock runs out on his NBA career.