Last season, Ben Simmons decided to take a year away from the NBA to focus on himself and prioritize his mental health. He spent much of that time away from basketball, working to regroup and prepare for a potential return.
Simmons spent the offseason proving that he can still play at a high level. The three-time All-Star signed with the Sacramento Kings at the beginning of September.
“Three-time All-Star Ben Simmons has agreed on a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Sacramento Kings, his agents Max Wiepking, Sean Tribe and Ryan Arney tell me and Marc J Spears. The one-time All-NBA star is back in the NBA for a 10th season after sitting out 2025-26,” ESPN’s Shams Charania wrote.
Things with Sacramento began to take shape after Simmons worked out for general manager Scott Perry.
“In late August, Simmons also worked out for general manager Scott Perry and met with Perry for an hour. By all accounts within the Kings as well as Team Australia officials where Simmons participated in a players-only minicamp last month, the 30-year-old has looked and felt strong health-wise,” Charania posted.
The Kings were not the only team interested in Simmons. The Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks also showed interest, but none of those teams offered him a contract.
“The New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors were also interested in Simmons, according to sources, but none offered a contract. However, once the Miami workout for Perry had been scheduled, Simmons was so confident the Kings would sign him that he began researching homes in Sacramento,” NBA insider Marc Spears wrote.
Simmons likely would have received a training camp invitation from one of those teams rather than a guaranteed contract. Joining Sacramento gives him an opportunity to earn playing time and prove he can contribute at the NBA level.
The Knicks, in particular, may have had limited opportunities for Simmons outside of situations when other players were unavailable. Ultimately, Sacramento offered him a contract, giving him a clearer path back into the league than the other interested teams did.
