Ben Simmons is set to make his return to the NBA after securing a one-year agreement with the Sacramento Kings following an entire year spent on the sidelines due to injury.
A person with knowledge of the arrangement confirmed the agreement to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, as the contract has not yet been formally announced. Initial reporting by ESPN revealed that the contract is valued at $3.5 million.
The 30-year-old Australian—a former top overall selection, Rookie of the Year, and three-time NBA All-Star—has navigated uneven play and recurring medical issues over recent seasons. Back and leg trouble kept him out for the entirety of last season after he completed the 2024–25 campaign as a reserve for the Los Angeles Clippers.
Sacramento is entering a rebuilding phase coming off a 22–60 record, leaning heavily on incoming rookie Darius Acuff Jr., who was chosen seventh overall in the draft after a standout freshman run at Arkansas. The franchise targeted veteran options to bolster the roster following the departure of DeMar DeRozan and the decision not to re-sign Russell Westbrook, both of whom led the team in scoring last year.
The Kings value Simmons’ defensive flexibility and his capacity to match up against virtually any position. He is slated to serve as a secondary point guard behind Acuff while providing positional flexibility across the rotation.
Selected first overall out of LSU by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016, Simmons sat out his true rookie year with a foot fracture before exploding onto the scene.
He earned Rookie of the Year honors for the 2017–18 season, picked up three straight All-Star nods, landed on the All-NBA Third Team in 2019–20, and earned back-to-back All-Defensive First Team honors.
His trajectory took a turn when he missed the entire 2021–22 campaign while dealing with mental health challenges, physical ailments, and an eventual trade request out of Philadelphia.
He was traded to the Brooklyn Nets at the 2022 deadline, though a back injury sidelined him for the remainder of that season. After spending two and a half years in Brooklyn, he was waived in February 2025, ended that season with the Clippers, and subsequently sat out the following year.
Since leaving the 76ers, his statistical output has dropped off from his early prime, as he averaged 5.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists across his stints with both the Nets and Clippers.