Ben Simmons signs non-guaranteed contract with Sacramento Kings

Ben Simmons has been given another chance to return to the NBA after signing with the Sacramento Kings, but his path back to the league is not yet complete. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the one-year contract signed by the Australian is non-guaranteed and could be worth up to $3.5 million. If he makes the Kings' opening-night roster against the Los Angeles Clippers on October 21, he will receive $1 million.

This means Simmons will have to prove during training camp and preseason games that he is healthy and worthy of a roster spot. The former number one overall pick in the 2016 draft did not play at all in the 2025/26 season, and his last appearance in an official NBA game was the season prior, which he split between the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers. In 51 games that season, he averaged 5 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.7 rebounds.

Simmons, now 30, was once one of the league's biggest stars: a three-time All-Star, a two-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection, and an All-NBA Third Team selection in 2020. In recent years, his career has been repeatedly derailed by physical issues, primarily back problems, and he used the past year to try to recover and prepare his body for a comeback.

In Sacramento, he is expected to add size, defense, and playmaking to the backcourt, though at this point it is not even certain he will ultimately play alongside Emmanuel Sharp. The Israeli was selected by the Kings with the 45th pick in the recent draft and signed with the team in July, while Simmons still needs to survive training camp and make the opening-night roster.

The non-guaranteed contract also makes the move a relatively low-risk gamble for Sacramento. If Simmons proves he is healthy and comes close to even a fraction of the ability that once made him one of the league's most versatile players, the Kings could receive a significant boost at a low cost. If the comeback fails, they are not obligated to keep him on the roster.