Ben Simmons returns to NBA, signs with Sacramento

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

It’s official.

Ben Simmons is back in the NBA.

All the offseason training and player-led private minicamps finally paid off for the former No. 1 pick after the Sacramento Kings signed him to a one-year, USD 3.5 million veteran minimum contract, as confirmed on Sept. 5, 2026.

The development was confirmed after ESPN senior NBA insider Shams Charania reported that Simmons’ agents, Max Wiepking, Sean Tribe and Ryan Arney, told the network about his free agency update.

Before the Kings offered him a deal, Simmons attended a private practice session in Sacramento, where he impressed head coach Doug Christie and several members of the franchise’s front office.

Simmons also underwent a series of thorough medical examinations and on-court mobility drills, key factors in the decision because of his injury history and recent NBA inactivity.

With the Kings in dire need of a pure point guard, Simmons’ arrival came at the perfect time for the Western Conference team heading into the 2026-27 NBA season.

Christie had to improvise with his players to fill the void last season, even asking Malik Monk, primarily a shooting guard, to play point guard and adjust his playing style over the final 25 games of the 2025-26 NBA season.

The experiment did not work, as the Kings failed to make a late run for the final spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament and finished the season with a dismal 22-60 record, placing 14th in the Western Conference.

“I plan on getting as strong as I can physically, getting my ass on the court, and then the team realizing that my abilities will be needed,” Simmons said in an interview with Clay Skipper of Men’s Health a month ago.

Simmons is a three-time All-Star who reached his peak during the 2019-20 season with the Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 16.4 points, 8 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game.

However, after a falling-out that led to his split from the 76ers, Simmons bounced around the league and never rekindled the fire he had during his heyday in Philadelphia.

The Australian ballhandler last played during the 2024-25 NBA season, averaging 5 points, 5.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds for the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers.