Former All-star Ben Simmons Agrees To One-year Contract With Kings, Per Agents

Former All-Star Ben Simmons agrees to one-year contract with Kings, per agents originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Kings have had interest in former NBA All-Star Ben Simmons for more than a year, and Sacramento finally got its guy.

Simmons and the Kings have agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million free-agent contract, ESPN’s Shams Charania and Marc J. Spears reported Friday, citing agents Max Wiepking, Sean Tribe and Ryan Arney.

Simmons didn’t play in the NBA during the 2025-26 NBA season. His last appearance came on April 29, 2025, during the Los Angeles Clippers’ first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets.

Simmons was the No. 1 overall draft pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016, but he sat out the entire 2016-17 season due to a foot injury. When he finally got on the court, he lived up to the hype, winning the 2017-18 NBA Rookie of the Year and making the NBA All-Star Game each of the next three seasons.

But that’s where the two-time All-Defensive First Team selection’s career derailed.

Following a rough playoff series with the Sixers to end the 2021 season, Simmons made his intentions known that he had no interest in playing in Philadelphia anymore, so he held out.

Philadelphia eventually traded him the following February to the Brooklyn Nets, in a deal that brought back James Harden.

Simmons played 90 games over parts of three seasons with the Nets before they waived him in February 2025. He then signed with the Clippers and finished the year with them.

Now, Simmons will try to resurrect his career with the rebuilding Kings, who need veteran leaders.

Last year, Russell Westbrook filled that role, and Sacramento hopes Simmons can do that this season.

This story originally appeared on NBCSportsBayArea.com.