Draymond Green Celebrates Ben Simmons' Return to the NBA

Draymond Green has seen too many careers derailed by bad backs to treat Ben Simmons’ return as just another signing.

So when the Golden State Warriors forward sat down for the latest episode of "The Draymond Green Show," his reaction to Simmons landing a deal with the Sacramento Kings wasn’t measured or lukewarm. It was joy.

“Number one, I'm happy to see Ben Simmons back in the NBA,” Green said, framing the move less as a gamble and more as a second chance for a rare kind of player. In his eyes, a 6-foot-10 guard with Simmons’ vision and defensive instincts is not something the league can afford to shrug off. “Simmons is a talent that — it doesn't grow on trees and we also don't get the opportunity to see in the NBA everyday.”

The Kings have decided they don’t want to shrug either.

After a year out of the league, Simmons worked his way into a one-year, $3.5 million deal with Sacramento, a contract born out of what team officials saw during a string of offseason workouts. No games, no recent film, just a summer of grind and a belief that his body is finally ready to cooperate.

Last season, Simmons never touched the floor. He sat as an unrestricted free agent, letting his back recover from the injuries that first surfaced during his time with the Philadelphia 76ers and never really loosened their grip. The absence stretched beyond the stat sheet. It seeped into the way people talked about him, into the doubts about whether he’d ever resemble the three-time All-Star he once was.

Green pushed back on that narrative. For him, the explanation is simple: injuries, not ability.

He pointed straight at the last three seasons, where back issues either limited Simmons or kept him out entirely, including the 2021-22 campaign, when he didn’t play at all. Green even revealed he’d spoken directly with Simmons and came away struck by something that doesn’t show up on any medical report: excitement.

“To see him get another opportunity, to see him excited,” Green said. “I actually had a conversation with Ben Simmons to see him excited to play basketball.”

That excitement matters, especially with back problems. Green knows the physical pain is only half the story. The other half sits in the mind. Long-term back injuries don’t just slow a player down; they wear on confidence, identity, and joy. In Simmons’ case, Green believes the mental toll has been every bit as heavy as the physical one.

Now, Sacramento is betting that a healthier body and a clearer head can unlock something useful, even if it’s not the All-NBA version of Simmons that once bulldozed his way through the Eastern Conference.

A Different Kind of Value in Sacramento

The Kings aren’t exactly ushering Simmons in as a sage locker-room voice. At 28, he’s not the classic grizzled veteran. But Green sees a different type of leadership baked into this move, especially for one player: No. 7 pick Darius Acuff Jr.

“When I look at this signing, I think this is great for Darius Acuff,” Green said, zeroing in on the rookie guard as the quiet winner of the deal.

To Green, Simmons isn’t just a reclamation project. He’s a live, walking tutorial in how to read the floor, how to defend multiple positions, how to impact a game without needing to score 25 points. And now, he’s also a man with something to prove.

“You have a Ben Simmons who's eager to make it right, he's going to give you the game. And he's going to work his ass off. I think this is great for Darius Acuff. Let's face it, Ben Simmons is Ben Simmons.”

That last line matters. Stripped of context, it sounds simple. Inside the league, it carries weight. It means that even after the injuries, the criticism, the memes, players like Green still view Simmons as a serious talent — someone whose presence changes the temperature in a gym.

Green also pointed out a subtle benefit for Acuff: attention.

Simmons has lived under a spotlight since he entered the NBA. Every move, every missed shot, every injury update has been dissected. In Sacramento, that attention doesn’t just follow him; it shields others. Green believes the noise that trails Simmons will pull some of the glare away from the rookie, giving Acuff space to grow without every mistake turning into a referendum.

For a young guard learning how to navigate the league, that cover can be priceless.

So the Kings get a low-risk, high-intrigue flier on a former All-Star. Simmons gets a lifeline and a chance to rewrite the story that’s followed him for three years. Acuff gets a mentor who understands both the heights of stardom and the depths of scrutiny.

Now it’s on Simmons’ back — literally and figuratively — to hold up.