Ben Simmons is set to play his first NBA minutes in close to 18 months on Saturday, when the Sacramento Kings travel to Chase Center for a preseason game against the Golden State Warriors.
The former No. 1 overall pick agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million deal with Sacramento in September. Simmons has not played competitively since April 2025 and sat out the opener of the Kings’ preseason schedule against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 5.
He was then ruled out of Thursday’s rematch with the Lakers for reasons unrelated to injury, with the Saturday trip to Golden State penciled in as his return.
A cautious ramp-up in Sacramento
Simmons stepped away from the game last year to work on back and leg issues that had followed him since his final seasons in Brooklyn. He had back surgery in May 2022 and again in March 2024, and across his final two seasons with the Nets and Clippers he was limited to 51 games in which he averaged 5.0 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.7 rebounds.
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Sacramento put Simmons through medical examinations and an on-court workout before finalizing the contract. Head coach Doug Christie’s staff has eased him in since, and he practiced through training camp without restriction.
Marc J. Spears of Andscape reported Simmons was “expected to make his Kings preseason debut on Thursday at Lakers or Saturday at Golden State”, with the latest updates pointing to the Golden State date.
The Warriors were in on him first
Golden State pursued Simmons in free agency before he chose Sacramento. Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that the Warriors and the New York Knicks were in the mix. Shams Charania of ESPN was first to break the Kings deal, writing on September 4 that “three-time All-Star Ben Simmons has agreed on a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Sacramento Kings”.
The Warriors had been looking for size, playmaking, and defensive versatility to put around Stephen Curry. Sacramento’s offer of guaranteed money, rather than a camp invite, is reported to have been the deciding factor.
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A long road from Philadelphia
Simmons was selected with the first pick of the 2016 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers and spent parts of six seasons with the franchise. A lengthy standoff ended in February 2022 with his trade to Brooklyn in a package that brought James Harden the other way. The Nets bought out the remainder of his contract in February 2025, and he finished the 2024-25 season with the Los Angeles Clippers.
In Sacramento, Simmons is expected to serve as a veteran backup and secondary ball-handler. His role is likely to run through rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr., the Kings’ seventh overall pick in June.
Tip-off between the Kings and Warriors at Chase Center is on Saturday, October 10.
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