Ben Simmons did not play a single NBA game last season. He has not started one since January 2025. On October 21 in Los Angeles, he is expected to be in the Sacramento Kings starting lineup.
Marc J. Spears of Andscape reported that Simmons “is expected to remain in the starting lineup alongside rookie guard Darius Acuff” for the opener against the Clippers at Intuit Dome.
The Deal Was Nothing and the Role Is Everything
Sacramento signed Simmons to a one-year, $3.5 million contract announced September 8, with a reported cap hit of $2,449,421 through the minimum-salary exception. The deal is non-guaranteed. He had to win a roster spot in camp.
He won a starting job instead.
The projected five is Acuff and Zach LaVine in the backcourt, Keegan Murray at small forward, Simmons at power forward and Domantas Sabonis at center. Simmons displaces De’Andre Hunter from the lineup Sacramento was projecting before he signed.
What He Looked Like
Simmons made his preseason debut October 10 against Golden State, starting in place of an injured Sabonis in a 111-106 loss. He played nine minutes, scored seven points on 2-of-4 shooting and 3-of-4 from the line, with one assist, two turnovers and two fouls. He wore No. 25.
He expects roughly 18 minutes against Portland on Tuesday and 27 against San Antonio on Friday, which is a deliberate ramp rather than a gamble.
“It felt really good,” Simmons said afterward. “When you’re out for a year and come back, it’s a good feeling. I’m about the same player I was a few years ago, especially given that I’m healthy. The game has just slowed down a lot for me, and I see a lot more now.”
Earlier he put it differently: “It feels like the start of a new era after just being away and coming back.”
Why This Is a Smart Bet and Not a Desperate One
The injury history is brutal. Simmons missed all of 2016-17 with a foot injury, sat out 2021-22 amid the Philadelphia standoff and back problems, had back surgeries in May 2022 and March 2024, played 90 total regular-season games across his Brooklyn tenure, was waived after the February 2025 deadline and finished that season with the Clippers. He has not played more than 51 games in a season since 2020-21.
His stated goal this year is all 82. Nobody should bet on that.
But the cost is $3.5 million non-guaranteed, which is a rounding error. And Kings general manager Scott Perry relayed something Simmons told him that explains the organization’s confidence: “Scott, this is the first time I’ve really been healthy in two years.”
Doug Christie, entering his second full season as head coach, has been more direct. “Ben can do everything,” Christie said. “There’s no area that is off limits.”
Sacramento Needs the Frontcourt Help
The timing is not incidental. Backup center Maxime Raynaud suffered a right patellar subluxation against Golden State and will be reevaluated in roughly two weeks, which would cost him at least the first three games. Sabonis missed two straight preseason games with an undisclosed issue, though he was a full participant in Monday’s practice and is questionable against Portland.
A 6-foot-10 playmaker who can defend multiple positions and handle the ball is useful on any roster. On a team thin at center with a 19-year-old rookie point guard in Acuff, the seventh pick out of Arkansas, he is more than useful.
The worst case is that Simmons breaks down again and Sacramento eats $3.5 million. The best case is a starting-caliber defender and connector for nothing. Take that trade every time.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.