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Ben Simmons Signs One-Year Deal with Sacramento Kings
Ben Simmons is back.
The Australian guard-forward has agreed a one-year deal with the Sacramento Kings worth $3.5 million (around $4.8 million AUD), according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The contract brings the former No. 1 overall pick back into the NBA for a 10th season after he sat out the entire 2025-26 campaign.
Charania reported on X that Simmons’ agents Max Wiepking, Sean Tribe and Ryan Arney confirmed the agreement, which marks the latest chapter in one of the league’s most scrutinised careers. Once an All-NBA selection and three-time All-Star, Simmons now arrives in Sacramento as a reclamation project with upside.
The Kings did not move lightly. Simmons flew into Sacramento on Monday for what was described as an extensive visit: in-depth medical testing, an on-court workout and meetings with head coach Doug Christie and other key staff. In late August, he had already worked out for general manager Scott Perry and spent an hour in discussion with him, a sign the franchise wanted a clear picture of both his health and his mindset.
Those inside the Kings organisation, as well as with Team Australia, have offered encouraging early impressions. Simmons, 30, took part in a players-only minicamp with the national team last month and, by those internal accounts, looked strong and confident physically.
His last NBA appearance came with the Los Angeles Clippers in early 2025, a brief stint that did little to reshape the narrative around him but at least kept his name on the board. Now comes a different kind of opportunity: a short-term deal, a team on the rise, and a role that will have to be earned rather than handed to a former top pick.
Simmons’ résumé still carries weight. Drafted first overall in 2016, he claimed NBA Rookie of the Year honours and quickly became one of the league’s premier defensive playmakers, earning three All-Star nods and a spot on an All-NBA team. Sacramento is betting that some of that player still exists beneath the injuries and interruptions.
The Kings have chased relevance and playoff traction in a brutal Western Conference. If Simmons’ body holds up and his game settles into a complementary role, this one-year gamble could look shrewd. If not, it will stand as another stop in a career that has rarely followed a straight line.
