Ben Simmons signs one-year, $3.5 million contract with Sacramento Kings

Contract terms and Sacramento rebuild

Ben Simmons agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Sacramento Kings after sitting out the entire 2025-26 season to rehabilitate back and leg injuries. The agreement, worth approximately AU$4.9 million, provides veteran depth for a Kings roster that finished 14th in the Western Conference with a 22-60 record. Sacramento is restructuring its rotation around rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr., who was selected seventh overall in the draft out of Arkansas. The front office cleared roster space by waiving DeMar DeRozan and moving on from Russell Westbrook, who opted to retire after both players led the team in scoring last season. The Kings evaluated veteran options including Victor Oladipo before signing Simmons to serve as a versatile defender across multiple positions and as a secondary ballhandler.

Career trajectory and injury history

Simmons entered the NBA as the first overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016 following one college season at LSU. After sitting out his first professional year with a foot injury, he won Rookie of the Year for the 2017-18 season and earned three consecutive All-Star selections. He added third-team All-NBA honors in 2019-20 and two selections to the NBA All-Defensive first team in 2019-20 and 2020-21. A trade dispute, mental health challenges and chronic back injuries led to him sitting out the entire 2021-22 season. Over a decade in the league, Simmons has missed three full seasons and appeared in 383 regular-season games with 344 starts, never playing more than 58 games in a season since 2018-19.

Rehabilitation and international ambitions

Following a February 2022 trade to Brooklyn, Simmons spent two and a half seasons with the Nets before receiving a contract buyout in February 2025. He concluded the 2024-25 season playing 18 games with the Los Angeles Clippers, averaging 5.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists across his stints in Brooklyn and Los Angeles. During his year away from the NBA, Simmons became controlling operator of the South Florida Sails in the Sport Fishing Championship. Simmons reflected on his decision to step back from the league in an interview with Men's Health.

I needed to get away, and have some space, and just find myself again.

In August 2026, Simmons returned to basketball activities during an unofficial Australian national team minicamp in Melbourne overseen by Boomers coach Adam Caporn. Simmons is targeting selection for Australia at the FIBA World Cup in Qatar and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where the Boomers hope to return to the podium after winning bronze in Tokyo five years ago.

Upcoming schedule and team outlook

Prior to agreeing to terms with Sacramento, Simmons also drew interest from the New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors. Sacramento has qualified for the playoffs only once since 2006, when the franchise lost in the first round to Golden State in 2023, and has not won a playoff series since 2004. Simmons marked the signing on social media by publishing a photograph of himself wearing a Kings cap. The Kings open their preseason schedule on 5 October against the Los Angeles Lakers at home. Sacramento begins the regular season on 21 October with an away game against the Los Angeles Clippers.