The Sacramento Kings made an interesting roster move this offseason with the signing of former All-Star Ben Simmons, a move that will surely be under plenty of scrutiny this year. But the Kings figure Simmons to play a big role for them in his first season back in the NBA after not playing last year.

Ben Simmons is reportedly excited to join the Kings, who see him as being the primary backup point guard to rookie Darius Acuff Jr., as per Marc J. Spears of ESPN. Simmons has been lauded for his positional versatility throughout his career, and while he’s been used primarily as a hybrid-forward, it appears as if the Kings want to lean more into his natural playmaking skills.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Simmons was once hailed as a franchise pillar for the Philadelphia 76ers following ‘The Process’ years. He appeared well on his way in becoming that player for the Sixers, with a string of three consecutive All-Star appearances after a Rookie of the Year debut.

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But a poor playoff performance in 2021, along with a deteriorating situation with the 76ers, led to him missing the entire 2021-22 season and ultimately being traded to the Brooklyn Nets. He’s dealt with lingering injury issues since then, and last played in the NBA with the LA Clippers in 2024-25 after agreeing to a buyout with the Nets.

He appeared in 18 games for the Clippers off the bench, at a little over 16 minutes per game. He averaged 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists with splits of 43.4 percent shooting from the field and 85.7 percent shooting from the 3-point line.