Ben Simmons signs one-year, $3.5 million deal with Sacramento Kings in NBA return

Deal terms and Sacramento's late-offseason calculus

The Sacramento Kings are signing Ben Simmons to a one-year, $3.5 million contract, ESPN reported on Friday, bringing the former No. 1 overall pick back to the NBA after he sat out the 2025-26 season. Simmons, 30, has played in 108 NBA games across four seasons since being traded from the Philadelphia 76ers in 2022, averaging 5.0 points, 5.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 51 combined appearances for the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers during the 2024-25 season. The agreement marks his fourth NBA team and arrives as training camp approaches, with the New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors also having considered signing him before he chose Sacramento.

Fit alongside a rookie point guard and a thin depth chart

Sacramento used the No. 7 pick in the 2026 draft on Darius Acuff Jr., who is projected to open the season as the team's starting point guard, leaving Malik Monk as the only returning player with recent spot minutes at the position. Simmons' 6-foot-10 frame and history as a point forward give the Kings a second offseason in a row of adding a former All-Star to that room late, following last year's minimum deal for Russell Westbrook, who has since retired. The structure mirrors the Westbrook signing in relying on a low-cost veteran flier rather than a multi-year commitment, with the Kings viewing Simmons as potential depth and mentorship for Acuff and the rest of a young core.

Long-running Sacramento interest and prior trade history

Sacramento's interest in Simmons dates to 2022, when the previous front office led by general manager Monte McNair pursued him at the trade deadline before pivoting to a package centered on Domantas Sabonis that sent Tyrese Haliburton to the Indiana Pacers. Days later, the 76ers traded Simmons to Brooklyn for James Harden. The new deal gives the franchise a chance to revisit a target it passed on four years ago, though on a minimum contract and with the player now coming off an extended absence rather than as a centerpiece.

Stephen A. Smith's critique and the scrutiny awaiting Simmons

On Friday's "First Take," Stephen A. Smith publicly mocked the return, saying of Simmons, "He treated taking a shot as if you asked him to be on the front lines in Afghanistan," a reference to viral clips of Simmons passing up open shots and layups. Smith added, "How come he isn't paying Sacramento? He should be paying them to let him play," pointing to the gap between Simmons' 2019 five-year, $170 million extension and the minimum deal he is now signing. The remarks underscore that, even after the contract is finalized, the 30-year-old faces the same questions about confidence and shot selection that defined his exit from Philadelphia and his limited role in Brooklyn and Los Angeles.