Ben Simmons signs one-year veteran minimum deal with Kings, September 4

Ben Simmons agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million veteran minimum contract with the Sacramento Kings, according to CBS Sports reporting. The 30-year-old guard returns to the NBA after the entire 2025-26 season off the court while rehabilitating from lingering back and leg injuries. Simmons was the No. 1 overall pick in 2016 and won Rookie of the Year in 2017-18 before making the All-Star Game in each of the next three seasons. Last played in the NBA during the 2024-25 season, when he appeared in 51 games combined for the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers, averaging 5.0 points, 5.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game. The New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors also considered signing Simmons before he agreed to Sacramento terms, per CBS Sports. Sacramento's interest in Simmons dates back to 2022, when the Kings reportedly pursued him at the trade deadline; instead, they traded Tyrese Haliburton to Indiana in a package centered around Domantas Sabonis. Days after that Sabonis trade, the 76ers shipped Simmons to Brooklyn in exchange for James Harden. Sacramento signed Russell Westbrook to a veteran minimum deal last offseason ahead of training camp, but Westbrook elected to retire this offseason. The Kings drafted Darius Acuff Jr. with the No. 7 pick and project him as the starting point guard on opening night, according to CBS Sports. Malik Monk is the only roster player who has handled spot minutes at the position in recent seasons. The franchise is expected to be one of the worst teams in the Western Conference, per the reporting. Simmons brings veteran experience and size at 6-foot-10. He has operated as a point forward throughout his career. However, with the Nets and Clippers, his scoring and willingness to shoot decreased compared to his Philadelphia tenure, per CBS Sports.