Ben Simmons NBA Comeback
Explore Ben Simmons NBA comeback, his role with Sacramento Kings, contract details, and challenges ahead for the 2026-27 season.
The decision: backup point guard or small-ball five?
The Sacramento Kings’ decision is not really whether Ben Simmons can play multiple positions. At 6-foot-10, he always has had the physical profile to toggle between assignments. The decision is which role preserves his strengths without asking him to solve his established limitations.
The better option is to use the Australian former No. 1 pick primarily as a backup point guard and transition organizer, with selective minutes at center. That is a narrower job than the one Simmons held during his three All-Star seasons, but it reflects the possessions Sacramento actually needs him to survive.
The alternative is the role Simmons’ camp has long been associated with: a small-ball five who screens, short-rolls, switches and distributes from the middle. It has theoretical appeal because it removes the need for a conventional jumper, but theory changes once defenses set their matchups.
Sacramento has not yet received any on-court return from the signing. As of September 11, Simmons has not played a 2026-27 game, so claims about his influence on the Kings’ chemistry, record or young players are projections, not findings. [1]
That distinction matters because the public argument has become louder than the available evidence. ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith’s criticism, relayed in reporting about the comeback, reflects widespread frustration with the gap between Simmons’ past talent and recent availability. [6]
The skeptical read is understandable, but it should not be confused with a lineup analysis. Sacramento is not paying for 2020 Simmons. It is buying an inexpensive training-camp evaluation of a player whose handle, vision and defensive size could still have situational NBA value.
The contract tells Sacramento’s side of the story
NBA.com reported that Simmons agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million veteran-minimum contract with Sacramento for 2026-27. [1] That headline number is real, but it does not mean the Kings have given him a conventional guaranteed rotation job.
RotoBaller reported that the deal is non-guaranteed, with Simmons receiving $1 million if he is on the opening-night roster on October 21. [3] That makes this less a declaration that he has returned and more an invitation to prove he belongs.
A non-guaranteed minimum changes the risk calculation. Sacramento can assess whether Simmons handles repeated practices, contact, travel and back-to-back workload without tying up meaningful long-term flexibility. It also means his roster spot must beat out another player’s utility, not merely his reputation.
The Kings are rebuilding around 2026 seventh overall selection Darius Acuff Jr., forward Keegan Murray and several younger rotation candidates, including Maxime Raynaud, Nique Clifford and Dylan Cardwell. [4] Veteran scorers Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis remain on the roster, but development is central.
That context is why a low-commitment Simmons experiment makes more sense here than it would on a contender. A team with championship ambitions cannot spend months discovering whether a non-shooter can stay playable. Sacramento can, provided it does not let the experiment redirect possessions from younger players.
Option one: Simmons as the backup point guard
This role means Simmons starts possessions with the second unit, pushes defensive rebounds, triggers early offense and finds cutters before the defense is organized. It does not mean giving him unrestricted pick-and-roll possessions against a set defense.
The attraction is simple: a large ball-handler can shield smaller guards, see over the first line of pressure and create transition advantages without demanding a pull-up jumper. Simmons’ best historical possessions began after rebounds, when his speed and passing forced retreating defenses into difficult decisions.
In that version, Acuff does not need to be removed from every bench group. The rookie can play alongside Simmons as an off-ball scorer, then take on-ball reps after Simmons advances the possession. That arrangement can reduce the rookie’s burden without replacing his developmental touches.
Simmons also gives Sacramento an option against oversized reserve creators. Rather than placing Acuff or another small guard on a 6-foot-6 initiator, the Kings can assign Simmons to the primary ball-handler and use his length to discourage simple switches and passing windows.
The limitation arrives in the half court. If Simmons has the ball above the break and his defender can sit in the lane, Sacramento effectively plays four-on-five in spacing terms. A pass-first player is useful only if the first pass creates a genuine advantage.
That means the Kings need shooting around him, plus a screener who can either finish above the rim or pop into space. Pairing Simmons with Sabonis could produce elegant passing sequences, but it could also compress the floor if both defenders are comfortable protecting the paint.
The cleaner version is Simmons with shooting-heavy second units and a vertical center. He can run drag screens in transition, attack a tilted defense and move the ball before the possession becomes a referendum on his willingness to shoot.
This is where supporters of the comeback have the strongest argument. Simmons does not need to become a high-volume scorer to help a bench unit. He needs to make quick reads, protect the ball, rebound his position and defend with enough mobility to justify the spacing tradeoff.
Option two: Simmons as the small-ball five
The small-ball-five argument begins with real skills. Simmons can defend across positions at his best, grab-and-go after rebounds, and make the short-roll pass that converts a blitzed pick-and-roll into a four-on-three advantage.
On paper, placing him at center also hides some of the shooting issue. The offense can station four shooters around him, use him as a dribble-handoff hub, and ask him to screen rather than initiate. It is a credible regular-season changeup, not an absurd idea.
But center is not merely a label on the lineup card. It comes with the most consequential defensive job in the sport: protecting the rim, ending possessions with rebounds and organizing coverages when the initial action breaks down.
Simmons has the size to switch and the agility to contain some perimeter actions. What is unproven is whether he can absorb the physical load of full-time interior defense after missing the entire 2025-26 season with chronic back and leg issues. [1]
The offensive problem also does not disappear. If Simmons screens and his defender plays well below the level, the ball-handler sees extra help. If he short-rolls but does not threaten a floater, dunk or quick finish, the low man can stay attached to shooters longer.
A small-ball five only works when the center creates a difficult choice. Draymond Green, for example, can punish a rotating defense through rapid passing, but his lineups are also built around elite shooting, screening detail and defensive communication. Sacramento cannot assume those conditions.
Simmons could still be useful at center against switchable, smaller opponents, especially when Sacramento wants to change tempo. But using him there as a nightly identity would make the Kings dependent on health and finishing evidence they do not currently possess.
Head-to-head comparison
| Criterion | Simmons as backup point guard | Simmons as small-ball five |
|---|---|---|
| Primary possession value | Advances the ball, creates transition chances and organizes second units. | Screens, short-rolls and connects passes from the middle. |
| Shooting limitation | More exposed when defenses go under screens or ignore him above the break. | Somewhat disguised, but still damaging if defenders can sag off screens. |
| Defensive responsibility | Can defend larger guards and wings without being the full-time rim protector. | Must rebound, protect the paint and quarterback the back line. |
| Fit with Darius Acuff Jr. | Can reduce the rookie’s ball-handling burden while leaving Acuff on the floor. | Can create space for Acuff as a ball-handler, but may clog driving lanes. |
| Health and workload risk | Lower interior contact burden, though transition workload still matters. | Higher physical burden through screens, box-outs and rim contests. |
| Best lineup context | Four shooters or three shooters plus a vertical-finishing center. | Four credible shooters, with opponents lacking a punishing interior center. |
| Main failure mode | Half-court offense stalls because Simmons’ defender camps in the paint. | The lineup loses rebounding and rim protection while still lacking spacing. |
| Overall verdict | The better primary role, because it uses his vision while limiting defensive burden. | A situational counter, not the foundation of his comeback. |
What the critics get right
The criticism is often delivered in harsher terms than it needs to be, but the basketball concern is sound. Simmons’ shooting remains unverified. There are no detailed current reports establishing a mechanical change or a reliable post-injury shooting baseline. [8]
That is why summer workout clips should carry almost no predictive weight. Uncontested makes tell us that a player is training. They do not tell us whether he will shoot when a defender goes under a screen, a weak-side helper is waiting at the nail, and the possession matters.
The last available NBA sample also requires restraint. In 2024-25, Simmons averaged 5.0 points, 5.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 52 percent from the field. [1] Field-goal percentage here measures makes divided by attempts, not offensive usefulness or spacing gravity.
A 52 percent mark can look efficient while concealing a low-volume, rim-dependent shot diet. The question is not whether Simmons can finish some attempts. It is whether defenses must alter their coverage before he gets to the rim, which is a far higher bar.
Sports Illustrated’s skepticism about the comeback is therefore reasonable. [10] The NBA has already seen a version of Simmons whose passing remained visible while injuries, non-shooting and reduced aggression made lineup construction increasingly difficult.
What the supporters get right
The optimistic case should begin with the price and role, not nostalgia. Sacramento is not offering a maximum contract or promising a starting job. It is offering a non-guaranteed chance to make a roster in a developmental environment. [3][4]
Simmons also did not step away from basketball entirely in an indeterminate way. Reporting has noted his work with Australia’s national-team program as he pursues a potential path toward the 2028 Olympics. [9] That does not verify NBA readiness, but it gives the comeback a competitive structure.
Supporters are also right that not every useful NBA player needs to score 15 points. A reserve who creates transition looks, defends multiple perimeter matchups and keeps a second unit organized can help, even if opponents ignore him beyond the paint.
The mistake is calling that outcome a return to stardom. It would be a reinvention. For Simmons, a successful season may look like reliable availability, low-turnover connective passing and defense that allows Sacramento to protect its younger guards in selected matchups.
What Simmons can change for Sacramento, and what he cannot
If Simmons makes the roster, his most immediate possible impact is lineup flexibility. Coach Doug Christie could use him to change the size of perimeter matchups, initiate fast breaks after defensive rebounds and reduce the number of possessions where a rookie guard faces full-court pressure alone.
He cannot, by himself, solve Sacramento’s larger rebuilding questions. The Kings’ long-term outcome still turns more on Acuff’s development, Murray’s growth after his reported $140 million extension, and the organization’s decisions around LaVine and Sabonis. [4]
Nor can Simmons be credited with improving team culture before there is evidence of it. Reports do not offer detailed public accounts from Kings management or Christie defining his leadership role, and no regular-season sample exists from which to assess locker-room or on-court influence.
The practical benchmark is modest. If Simmons can win an opening-night roster spot, remain available, keep Sacramento’s non-Acuff minutes functional and produce a few lineups that defend without collapsing offensively, the signing will have served its purpose.
If he cannot, the Kings have preserved their exit. That is not a cynical way to view the agreement. It is precisely why the agreement is rational, despite the uncertainty surrounding a player whose comeback will be judged on live possessions, not promises.
Who each option suits
The backup-point-guard option suits Sacramento’s developmental timeline and Simmons’ current burden of proof. It gives the Kings a way to use his passing and defensive size while limiting his exposure as the sole interior defender. It also allows Acuff to learn beside a larger organizer.
The small-ball-five option suits short stretches against smaller opponents, particularly with four shooters and no dominant opposing interior scorer. It can create transition pace and switching versatility, but it falls down when Sacramento needs rim protection, defensive rebounding or half-court spacing.
For Simmons himself, the first option is the better comeback route. It asks him to make reads he has historically made well, rather than prove immediately that he can withstand the NBA’s most physical defensive assignment after a season away.
For critics, the second option is where the concern is strongest. A full-time center experiment magnifies every unanswered question about health, finishing, shooting deterrence and physical durability. Sacramento should keep it in the playbook, but not make it the plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
What role will Ben Simmons play in his NBA comeback with the Kings?
Ben Simmons is expected to serve primarily as a backup point guard and transition organizer for the Sacramento Kings. This role leverages his size, passing, and ball-handling to initiate offense after defensive rebounds and provide a defensive changeup, rather than being a primary offensive creator or small-ball center.
How does Ben Simmons' non-guaranteed contract affect his NBA return?
Simmons signed a one-year, $3.5 million veteran minimum contract that is non-guaranteed, with $1 million payable only if he makes the opening-night roster. This arrangement allows the Kings to evaluate his health and performance during training camp without a full financial commitment, making his roster spot contingent on proving his value.
Can Ben Simmons contribute as a backup point guard for Sacramento?
Yes, Simmons’ size and vision fit the Kings’ need for a large ball-handler who can push the pace and create transition opportunities. His ability to defend bigger guards and see over defensive pressure can provide situational value, especially in matchups against oversized reserve creators.
What are the challenges of Ben Simmons playing small-ball five?
Playing small-ball five requires Simmons to screen, switch, and distribute from the middle without relying on a jump shot. However, defenses can exploit his lack of shooting and spacing, making it difficult for Sacramento to run effective half-court offense with him in that role.
What impact does Ben Simmons' health have on his NBA comeback?
Simmons has not played since the 2024-25 season due to chronic back and leg injuries, and there is no recent game evidence confirming his ability to sustain playoff-level minutes or improve his shooting. His health remains a central uncertainty in assessing his potential impact for the Kings.
How we researched this
This article was assembled from 3 video sources across 3 channels, 2 published articles, 10 cited references.
Nothing here is based on hands-on testing. Where a figure or finding appears, it belongs to the source cited beside it, and the writing says so rather than implying otherwise. Every source is listed below so you can check it.
Sources
Ben Simmons Is Officially Back In The NBA — TheFlightMike
Ben Simmons Is Trying to Fool Us Again… — Mike Korzemba
Ben Simmons Became Everything Kobe Bryant Warned Us About — Hoop Dungeon
“When I came to the NBA, I had Jameer Nelson and … — Yahoo Sports
Ben Simmons Fires Back at 12-Year NBA Vet Calling His Comeback ‘Unfair’ — heavy.com
Ben Simmons Kings Contract: How Much Will He Earn With the Sacramento Kings? | The Sports Cast
Ben Simmons' Kings Contract is Non-Guaranteed - NBA News | Fantasy Basketball
Ben Simmons, Sacramento Kings agree to 1-year contract, source says - CBS Sacramento
2025-26 Sacramento Kings Transactions | Basketball-Reference.com
NBA - « Pourquoi est-ce que ce n’est pas Ben Simmons qui paie Sacramento ? »
Ben Simmons Angling for NBA Comeback: How Real Is It and Which Teams Could Be Interested?
Watch Ben Simmons NBA Comeback and Controversy on Youtube
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