Ben Simmons Signs One-Year Deal with Sacramento Kings

Ben Simmons is back in the NBA.

The Australian guard/forward has agreed a one-year deal with the Sacramento Kings worth $3.5 million (around $4.8 million AUD), according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, marking a return for his 10th season in the league after sitting out the entire 2025-26 campaign.

Charania reported the agreement on X, citing Simmons’ agents Max Wiepking, Sean Tribe and Ryan Arney, and describing the move as a comeback for the former All-NBA selection and three-time All-Star.

This wasn’t a casual signing. Simmons flew into Sacramento on Monday for what amounted to a full-scale audition. He underwent extensive medical testing, took part in an on-court workout and met new head coach Doug Christie along with other members of the Kings staff. Earlier, in late August, he had also worked out for general manager Scott Perry and then sat down with him for an hour-long meeting.

The feedback from those sessions has been encouraging. Within the Kings organisation, and from Team Australia — where Simmons joined a players-only minicamp last month — the word is that the 30-year-old has looked and felt strong physically.

Simmons last appeared in the NBA with the Los Angeles Clippers in early 2025, a brief chapter in a career that began with huge expectations. The number one overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, he claimed Rookie of the Year honours and quickly stacked up three All-Star appearances, building a reputation as one of the league’s most versatile defenders and playmakers.

Now he arrives in Sacramento with something to prove and a point to make: that there is still real value in his game, and that his story in the NBA is not finished yet.