Former Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons has not played in the NBA since the 2024-25 season when he finished with the Los Angeles Clippers. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2016 draft took a year off after a tumultuous couple of seasons in the league, but is now set to make his return.
Simmons will reportedly sign a 1-year deal with the Sacramento Kings and look to continue his career after such a strong start. Simmons was a 3-time All-Star with the Sixers, won Rookie of the Year in 2018, and made the All-NBA Third Team in 2020. Then injuries took over and the ugly break up in Philadelphia sent him to the Brooklyn Nets in the James Harden deal.
Just in: Three-time All-Star Ben Simmons has agreed on a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Sacramento
Kings, his agents Max Wiepking, Sean Tribe and Ryan Arney tell me and @MarcJSpears. The one-time All-NBA star is back in the NBA for a 10th season after sitting out 2025-26. pic.twitter.com/xj5X7lr3op
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 4, 2026
Simmons will look to unleash his elite playmaking and defensive ability in Sacramento and get his game back on the right track. When he was right with the Sixers, he was a fantastic player as he averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.7 assists. The Kings offer him an environment where he can find his game again and come along slowly in order to get back at it.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Former Sixers star Ben Simmons to return to NBA, signs deal with Kings
