Ben Simmons agrees to one-year contract with Sacramento Kings
Australian basketball player Ben Simmons has agreed to a one-year contract with the NBA's Sacramento Kings. As Anadolu Agency reports, citing ESPN, the player's agents disclosed the deal, which is worth $3.5 million.
Return to the NBA
The 30-year-old Simmons is returning to the NBA after completely missing the 2025–26 season while recovering from long-standing back and leg problems.
According to ESPN, the basketball player visited Sacramento on Monday, underwent an extensive medical examination and held an on-court workout. He then met with Kings head coach Doug Christie and other club representatives.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Expected role on the team
In Sacramento, Simmons is expected to back up rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr. and be able to contribute at several positions.
The Philadelphia 76ers selected Simmons with the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft after his performances for Louisiana State University. He missed his first season due to a foot injury and was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 2018. From 2019 to 2021, Simmons was selected to the NBA All-Star Game three consecutive times.
He was also named to the All-NBA Team once and the league's All-Defensive First Team twice. In the 2024–25 season, Simmons played for the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers, averaging 5 points, 5.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 51 games. Over 383 NBA regular-season games, he has averaged 13.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.5 steals.
