Ben Simmons is back in the NBA. The former No. 1 overall pick agreed to a one-year, $3.5-million contract with the Sacramento Kings on Friday, ending a full season away from the league and months of speculation about where he would land.
A prove-it deal in Sacramento
ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported the agreement, which NBC Sports and several outlets later confirmed. At roughly $3.5 million for one year, it reads as a low-risk flier: Simmons gets a fresh start, while the Kings bring in a three-time All-Star on a short, affordable deal.
The road back
Simmons, now 30, was drafted first overall in 2016 and spent his first four seasons in Philadelphia alongside Joel Embiid, but injuries and well-documented shooting struggles kept him from living up to that No. 1 billing. He was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in February 2022 in the blockbuster that sent James Harden to the Sixers, and he sat out the entire 2025-26 season before this comeback.
Career numbers at a glance
The Australian guard’s resume is a study in what he once was and what he could still be.
- Honors: three-time All-Star, 2018 Rookie of the Year, 2020 All-NBA third team, two-time All-Defensive first team.
- Games played: 383 career regular-season games.
| Metric | Career average |
|---|---|
| Points per game | 13.1 |
| Rebounds per game | 7.4 |
| Assists per game | 7.2 |
| Field goal | 55.8% |
| Three-point | 13.9% |
| Free throw | 59.2% |
What this means for the Kings
Sacramento adds a high-IQ ball-handler and a versatile defender at close to the minimum, a sensible bet on a player whose talent has never been the question. A return trip to Philadelphia when the schedule turns should be one of the more watched games on the Kings’ calendar.
The signing extends a season of comebacks in the NBA. Filipino hoops fans recently saw Tacko Fall work his own way back into the league, and NBA 2K27 shipped this week to feed the appetite for the new season.
