Apr 11, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Ben Simmons (25) at the end of the first quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Apr 11, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Ben Simmons (25) at the end of the first quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
The Sacramento Kings aren’t known for being a lucrative destination for players. In fact, for most of their existence, the Kings have struggled to gain any sort of relevance or sustained success. Even so, it didn’t stop former All-Star Ben Simmons from joining them this summer.
After a year-long hiatus from action, Simmons recently signed a one-year deal to join Sacramento, and critics are split on what it means for his future. While some doubt this comeback will last for long, one insider says the Kings may be uniquely positioned to help Simmons revive his NBA career.
“One thing he likes about Sacramento is… he’s never played in a small market, and sometimes that’s a safer haven. I think Sacramento offers an opportunity to not only play but to be supported,” Spears said on ‘Sactown Sports.’ “You go to Sacramento; it’s about basketball. You go to Sacramento, I put their fans up with anybody in the world, in terms of the NBA. They eat, sleep, drink [basketball].”
On paper, the Sacramento Kings are in a rough state. Following the departure of De’Aaron Fox, they’ve been set back as a team and are once again in rebuild mode as they stockpile assets and look toward the future. After going 22-60 last season, expectations couldn’t be lower for the Kings, and that’s why they are the perfect setting for Ben’s NBA comeback.
It was only five years ago that Ben (former No. 1 overall pick) was an NBA All-Star, and he was good enough to earn a max contract with the 76ers. But after years of shooting struggles and an incident in the 2021 playoffs, Simmons became disillusioned with the Sixers, launching a nasty breakup that got downright personal.
It was only years later that we discovered the extent of Ben’s situation. Not only was he unable to stay healthy on the court, but his confidence was completely shot, leading to a gradual decline that Simmons has not recovered from. He spent the entire 2025-26 campaign without a job until the Kings finally gave him another chance.
While it’s still too early to say how Ben will perform in his first stretch back to action, the conditions are ripe for a successful run. On a Kings team for the veterans’ minimum, there is no pressure for him to play like a star or lead the team to glory. In Sacramento, Simmons can focus entirely on building up his game and finding a role that maximizes his strengths. Plus, after all the work he’s put in this summer, he’s starting to look like his old self again.
“I felt he was back to where he was athletically and mentally from his times at Philly when he was a three-time All-Star,” Ben’s godfather, David Patrick, said on Sactown Sports. “For me, over the last probably three months, that swagger, that confidence that he once had, was back.”
It’s unclear what role Ben will have out of the gate, or if he’ll be starting, but he’ll surely have plenty of opportunities to contribute on the court. The question is, how much can he give? With career averages of 13.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game on 43.4% shooting, he has shown flashes of greatness before, and there’s reason to believe he has more left to give at just 30 years old.
Ultimately, only time will tell how the future plays out for Simmons, but don’t doubt that he still has it in him to restore his peak All-Star form. If he doesn’t, it would change everything for the Kings, who desperately need a win right now after their quick fall from grace.