Ben Simmons, the 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year and a three-time All-Star, is returning to the National Basketball Association after spending last year out of the league. The 30-year-old Australian signed with the Sacramento Kings on Friday, agreeing to a one-year, $3.5 million contract.
Simmons sat out all of the 2025–26 season to rehab from chronic back and leg injuries, both of which had limited his play and his performance in prior seasons. Simmons last played during the 2024–25 season, which he began with the Brooklyn Nets but was waived by the team in February 2025, before then signing with the Los Angeles Clippers to finish the year.
In his last NBA season, Simmons played a role that was far different from the ball-dominant one he had when he first came into the league. In the 2024–25 season, Simmons started just 24 of 51 games, averaging 22 minutes per night. His averages of 5.0 points, 5.6 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 0.7 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game were all career lows across his seven NBA seasons.
Those numbers are a far cry from the stat-stuffing statistics Simmons put up during his prime, which came with the Philadelphia 76ers. He was drafted first overall by the Sixers in 2016, won Rookie of the Year in his debut season, and made All-Star teams three straight years from 2019–21.
During his first four seasons, Simmons averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists, and 1.7 steals. He also made two NBA All-Defensive teams during this span, led the league in steals once, and was a one-time All-NBA selection.
However, his tenure in Philadelphia was bookended by missing two full seasons of play. After being drafted in 2016, Simmons rolled his ankle during preseason, and medical testing revealed that he had a broken bone in his foot. That caused him to miss the entire 2016–17 season, and his Rookie of the Year award actually came the following year.
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Then, after four seasons of play, Simmons missed another entire year in 2021–22. That was due to a combination of factors including a back injury, mental health issues, and a holdout. He was traded to the Nets in February 2022 but ended up playing just 90 games with the team over a two-year span due to recurring injuries before latching on with the Clippers.
The combination of multiple, lingering injuries, plus a cool free agent market, ultimately led Simmons to sit out last year. During this time, he took part in a different sport: fishing. He became co-owner and angler for the South Florida Sails Angling Club, and in May 2026, the team captured the Sport Fishing Championship Blue Marlin Open at Walker’s Cay in the Bahamas.
Even with success in sportfishing, it was clear that Simmons was angling for more than just a billfish when, in August, he participated in training camp with his native Australia’s national team. The camp, which was player-led, took place in Melbourne and featured other notable Aussie NBA players such as Josh Giddey, Patty Mills, and Jock Landale.
The camp not only gave NBA personnel a look at a healthier version of Simmons than they’ve seen in recent years, but it also allowed Simmons to enter the radar for a potential future selection for the Australian national team. Despite being one of the most notable Aussie basketball players, Simmons has never taken part in either an Olympics or a FIBA World Cup with Australia.
That camp could help with his chances of competing for Australia at the 2028 Olympics, but his play with the Kings this upcoming season could advance that possibility even more. Sacramento lost two veteran, future Hall of Famers during this offseason, with the retirement of Russell Westbrook and the waiving of DeMar DeRozan. Westbrook’s departure was especially notable because without him, the Kings only had one true point guard on the roster, and he’s a rookie in No. 7 overall pick Darius Acuff Jr.
So, Simmons fills a need on the roster, in addition to providing veteran leadership. As it stands, Simmons is one of just three players 30 or older on Sacramento, alongside Zach LaVine (31) and Domantas Sabonis (30).
The Kings are coming off a 22–60 season, which was tied for the worst in the Western Conference and the fourth worst in the NBA. Sacramento missed out on the postseason for the third straight year and for the 19th time out of the last 20 seasons. The Kings will open training camp on Sept. 29, begin preseason play on Oct. 5, and start the regular season on Oct. 21.
