Ben Simmons ends NBA absence with one-year deal to Kings

Ben Simmons has agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Sacramento Kings, ending his absence from the NBA after he sat out the 2025-26 season while recovering from knee, back and leg injuries. The 30-year-old three-time All-Star is expected to back up rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr. and provide versatile defense, rebounding and playmaking across multiple positions. Sacramento pursued Simmons after workouts, medical evaluations and meetings with team officials, choosing him over other veteran options as it reshapes a backcourt weakened by a 22-60 season and the departures of DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook. Simmons was the 2016 No. 1 overall pick and 2018 Rookie of the Year, but injuries and other challenges have limited him to 383 regular-season games over 10 seasons. He last played in 2024-25, averaging 5.0 points, 5.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 51 games, making the low-cost deal a chance for both player and team to determine whether he can again become a reliable rotation piece.