Ben Simmons may have been signed as a low-risk reclamation project, but Sacramento coach Doug Christie was reportedly convinced within minutes that the Australian deserved another NBA opportunity.
The Kings have handed Simmons a one-year, US$3.5 million minimum-salary contract after the former No.1 draft pick spent the entire 2025–26 season outside the league.
Sacramento initially appeared to be searching for an experienced backup capable of supporting rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr.
However, comments from Simmons’ godfather David Patrick suggest the three-time All-Star could be given an opportunity to compete for a starting position.
That possibility dramatically changes the complexion of his comeback.
Christie Needed Only Minutes to Make His Decision
Sacramento general manager Scott Perry travelled to Miami in late August to watch Simmons complete a private workout.
Simmons then travelled to Sacramento for another on-court session, underwent extensive medical examinations and met with Christie and other members of the Kings’ basketball department.
ESPN and Andscape reporter Marc J. Spears revealed Christie’s reaction was immediate.
“Within minutes, Doug Christie was like, ‘I’m good. Let’s get him. He looked great,’” Spears said, according to Sactown Sports.
The strength of that response suggests Simmons demonstrated more than basic fitness.
Sacramento had already watched him train in Miami and could have chosen to offer only a non-guaranteed training-camp contract. Instead, the Kings committed to a one-year NBA deal after completing their own medical and basketball evaluations.
Simmons is reportedly equally enthusiastic about the move.
“He’s really, really happy, and proud, and excited to be a Sacramento King,” Spears said.
Simmons Could Compete for Starting Role
The assumption surrounding Simmons’ arrival was that he would become an experienced reserve behind Acuff, whom Sacramento selected with the seventh pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Patrick has challenged that interpretation.
The former LSU coach, who serves as an Australian Boomers assistant and is Simmons’ godfather, said Christie told the 30-year-old to arrive in Sacramento and play his natural game.
According to Hoops Rumors, Patrick believes Simmons will be allowed to compete for a place in the starting lineup rather than being restricted to a predetermined bench role.
That does not mean Christie has promised him a starting position.
Simmons must still prove he can remain healthy, contribute offensively and fit beside Sacramento’s other established players. Acuff’s development will also remain one of the organisation’s leading priorities.
Nevertheless, the possibility illustrates how highly the Kings rated Simmons’ workout.
They do not appear to view him merely as an extra body for training camp.
Australian Camp Revived Simmons’ NBA Career
Simmons’ participation in a player-led Boomers minicamp in Melbourne became the turning point in his comeback attempt.
Spears said the former Philadelphia star played “extremely well” during five-on-five action against several NBA players and displayed athleticism that had been absent during the injury-plagued latter stages of his career.
“Once he played well in that camp in Australia, that’s when I think Scott Perry got really interested,” Spears said.
The minicamp gave NBA teams something Simmons’ familiar offseason workout videos could not provide.
He was competing against professional players, absorbing contact and moving within structured five-on-five basketball.
Patrick believes Simmons has recovered the confidence and physical explosiveness that made him one of the league’s most unusual young stars.
“For me, over the last probably three months, that swagger, that confidence that he once had, was back,” Patrick said.
“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.”
That is an enormous claim.
Simmons at his Philadelphia peak was a 6-foot-10 playmaker capable of defending every position, controlling transition and creating open shots without needing to score heavily.
Sacramento does not need him to return completely to that level.
Even a reduced version of that player could become one of the most valuable minimum-salary signings of the offseason.
Injuries Remain the Greatest Concern
Simmons’ decline cannot be explained solely by his reluctance to shoot.
He underwent back surgery in May 2022 and again in March 2024, while recurring nerve and leg problems repeatedly limited his availability and movement.
After earning three consecutive All-Star selections between 2019 and 2021, Simmons missed the entire 2021–22 season.
He played only 42 games in 2022–23 and 15 the following season before making 51 appearances split between Brooklyn and the Los Angeles Clippers in 2024–25.
Simmons averaged 5.0 points, 5.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 22 minutes per game during that final campaign.
He then sat out all of last season while recovering physically and stepping away from the pressure surrounding his career.
The Kings’ medical examinations reduce the immediate concern, but they cannot guarantee his body will withstand an entire NBA schedule.
A private workout and national-team minicamp are significantly different from playing several games each week while travelling across the country.
Sacramento must manage his workload carefully before deciding how heavily it can rely upon him.
Shooting Problem Has Not Disappeared
Better health will not automatically fix every weakness in Simmons’ game.
Defenders will continue to leave him unguarded outside the paint until he proves willing and able to shoot.
That lack of spacing can become particularly damaging if Simmons shares the court with a traditional centre who also operates close to the basket.
His free-throw struggles and occasional reluctance to attack contact present further concerns.
Simmons does not need to transform into a three-point specialist to become valuable again. He does need to attack open lanes, finish at the rim and force opponents to defend him as a scoring threat.
If he becomes completely passive, his passing lanes will disappear and Sacramento’s half-court offence will become easier to contain.
Christie must therefore build lineups that maximise Simmons’ strengths without allowing his limitations to dictate the entire offensive structure.
Using him as a screener, short-roll playmaker and small-ball centre may prove more effective than asking him to operate exclusively as a conventional point guard.
Sacramento Offers the Environment Simmons Needed
Simmons has spent his entire NBA career under intense scrutiny in Philadelphia, Brooklyn and Los Angeles.
Sacramento offers something different.
The Kings possess an extremely passionate supporter base, but the franchise does not attract the relentless national attention that followed Simmons during his previous stops.
“I think Sacramento offers an opportunity to not only play but to be supported,” Spears said.
“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.”
That environment could allow Simmons to rebuild his career without every missed shot or injury update becoming a national controversy.
The Kings also finished last season with a 22–60 record, meaning Christie has considerably more freedom to experiment than a coach leading an immediate championship contender.
Simmons will not be required to transform Sacramento overnight.
He must defend, create opportunities for teammates, remain aggressive and stay healthy.
Could Simmons Stay Beyond One Season?
Simmons’ contract covers only the 2026–27 campaign, but Spears believes the partnership could continue if his comeback succeeds.
The reporter described Simmons as a loyal person who may want to remain with the organisation if Sacramento supports him and provides a meaningful role.
That possibility depends entirely upon performance.
A productive season could allow Simmons to seek a larger multiyear contract, either with Sacramento or another team. Another injury-plagued campaign could place his NBA future in serious doubt.
The Kings carry very little financial risk.
They have committed only a minimum salary and can assess Simmons without sacrificing a draft pick, prospect or substantial cap space.
For Simmons, the stakes are considerably greater.
Simmons Has Received His Final Opportunity to Change the Story
The Kings have already given Simmons more certainty than many expected.
He did not receive only an invitation to training camp. Sacramento completed its evaluation and handed him a guaranteed pathway back into the NBA.
Christie’s reported reaction demonstrates that the decision was based upon what Simmons showed on the court rather than his former reputation alone.
There is still reason for caution.
Simmons has not played an NBA game since April 2025, his body has repeatedly failed him and his offensive limitations remain unchanged.
But this comeback now contains something his previous offseason promises often lacked: a signed contract and a coach who appears genuinely enthusiastic about using him.
Simmons does not need to become the player Philadelphia once expected to build around.
If he can remain healthy and rediscover even part of his defensive versatility, transition playmaking and athleticism, Sacramento may have secured far more than a backup point guard for US$3.5 million.
