Ladies and gentlemen, Ben Simmons is officially back in the NBA as a member of the Sacramento Kings. While they didn't make a big-money bet on him, there is still some risk from a development/rebuild perspective. If Simmons stays healthy, this all could work out.
After an initial run in the league that was utterly plagued by injuries, Simmons decided to take last season off from basketball to heal. He spent time as a competitive fisherman and actually did really well. He won the Sport Fishing Championship Open with his team, the South Florida Sails, in May.
Simmons recently announced he was ready to return and held workouts in Florida. The Knicks, Warriors, and Wolves all expressed different levels of interest in him, though his main suitor seemed to be the Kings. They were looking for a veteran point guard to mentor Darius Acuff Jr.
It was just announced that the Kings have officially signed Simmons to a veteran minimum deal. This is a one-year contract worth $3.5 million. Frankly, it was the only contract they could afford to offer him, as the Kings are just barely under the first apron and a looming luxury tax.
Simmons is likely a good move for the Kings
Signing a player like Simmons comes with injury concerns, among other potential problems. That being said, it's hard to deny the benefits of the situation. Sacramento now has a proper backup point guard for Acuff as well as someone to hopefully help him develop and thrive in the NBA ecosystem.
Even more important, the Kings can afford him. Part of Simmons' $3.5 million salary is subsidized by the league due to his contract being a veteran minimum. It drops the cap hit Sacramento will take by over $1 million. That's important as the Kings still have one more roster spot to fill.
The hope is that Simmons has a solid season, helps Acuff grow, and stays healthy. If he can accomplish those three goals, then he might actually end up hanging around the league for a few more seasons. It might not be necessarily with the Kings, but other teams will be interested.
Right now, fans will have to wait and see what happens. Hopefully, Simmons becomes an important part of the rebuild and continues his career with Sacramento in the long-term. It would be nice to see the Kings improve, as well as Simmons get the chance to live up to his potential.
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