Former Sixers star Ben Simmons is coming back to the NBA on a one-year deal with the Kings
Simmons’ NBA return comes after he stepped away from basketball for a year following several seasons plagued by injury and mental health struggles.
Ben Simmons, a former No. 1 pick of the 76ers, is making an NBA comeback.
Simmons, 30, has agreed to sign a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Sacramento Kings, according to ESPN.
Simmons’ NBA return comes after he stepped away from basketball for a year following several seasons plagued by injury and mental health struggles.
Simmons was a can’t-miss prospect out of LSU when the Sixers selected him No. 1 in the 2016 NBA draft. That proved true early in his career. After missing his entire first year with a foot injury, Simmons was named Rookie of the Year and became an All-Star, All-Defensive, and All-NBA performer before his 24th birthday.
But things went off the rails during the 2020-21 season when the Sixers lost to the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference semifinals. In that series, the Sixers lost a tightly-contested Game 7 and Simmons bore the brunt of the burden after he passed up an open dunk attempt to pass the ball with the Sixers trailing 88-86 with 3:30 on the clock.
» READ MORE: The Sixers own a Clippers pick swap. Here’s why they will keep it.
He subsequently orchestrated a holdout and forced his way out of Philly, landing with the Brooklyn Nets in a trade that sent James Harden to Philly.
Simmons never regained that early flash after leaving Philly. After averaging 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists, and 1.7 steals for the Sixers, his numbers dipped severely with the Nets and Los Angeles Clippers.
Joining Sacramento could provide a real opportunity for Simmons. The Kings have been in a perpetual rebuild for decades, so there will be chances for Simmons to get playing time and show if he’s fully healthy mentally and physically.
Talk of his return started with rumors about a potential reconnection with the Sixers after he spoke with Men’s Health in June.
“I plan on getting as strong as I can physically, getting my ass on the court, and then the team realizing that my abilities will be needed,” Simmons said.
Asked where he would like to play, Simmons didn’t have a specific destination but named a few franchises he had his eye on.
“Maybe I’ll go back to Philly,” Simmons told Men’s Health. “Miami would be nice. And not because it’s Miami — I like Erik Spoelstra, I like the Heat, I like their organization, I like the culture.”
He ended up in Sacramento for what could be one of his final shots at an NBA career.
