Ben Simmons Inks One-Year Deal With the Kings

The NBA offseason rolls on and with that, we’ve seen plenty of trades, not to mention free agent signings. In case you missed it, LeBron James is in Philadelphia, as is Jaylen Brown. Paul George is in Beantown, Giannis Antetokounmpo is in South Beach and Walker Kessler plays for the Lakers. Kawhi Leonard was dealt to the Raptors, while the Clippers were docked five first-round picks and fined $30 million for their dealings with Leonard last season.

Then, there’s always those out of left field signings that make one stand up and wonder why. We saw one of those Friday. Let’s break it down for you below.

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Ben Simmons Returns to the NBA, Inks Deal With Kings

Ben Simmons, the former first overall pick who missed all of last season, returns to the NBA. He signed a one-year deal with the Sacramento Kings worth $3.5 million to play this season. Simmons projects to be fully healthy this season after dealing with back and leg injuries.

Of course, there are concerns any time you deal with a guy like Simmons. He seems poised to be this generation’s Sam Bowie, a player with talent that had their career derailed by injuries. The hope is that he still has something in the tank at age 30. Meanwhile, we’re talking about a guy that last logged at least 60 games in a season way back in 2018-19. By way of comparison, he’s missed three full seasons and missed at least 24 games in five others since coming into the league.

The expectation is that Simmons slots in as a veteran backup to rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr., who the Kings selected seventh overall in the 2026 draft. Meanwhile, he has the size where he can play any of the five positions on the floor. With the Kings in a state of flux as far as their attempts to contend, adding another experienced piece gives them options. Best case, he helps the Kings battle, at minimum, for a spot in the play-in tournament. With Domantas Sabonis, De’Andre Hunter and Zach LaVine in the mix, they have a solid, if inconsistent nucleus. Meanwhile, if the Kings crash and burn while Simmons performs well, he turns into a potential trade chip.

He could prove a valuable second unit piece for the Kings this season, if he can stay on the floor. Of course, with Simmons, that’s the $64,000 question.

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