It's safe to say that the fan response to the Sacramento Kings signing Ben Simmons has been mixed at best. His career in the NBA has been filled with injuries and controversy, after all. But the Kings made a smart move by only signing him to a one-year contract, mitigating any potential issues.
Saying Simmons has missed a lot of games due to injury would be a massive understatement. He lost what should have been his rookie season to an injury. After that, he has gone for extended periods on multiple occasions. That includes taking last season off to rehabilitate his back issues.
The most worrisome absence was in 2021-2022. He refused to play for the 76ers as a means of pushing them for a trade. On top of that, Simmons was dealing with mental health issues and a pinched nerve in his back. He's not the most popular guy in Philadelphia.
He has missed three full seasons during his NBA run, and that doesn't count all of his partially missed seasons due to other injuries. All of that combined has left a sizable chunk of the Sacramento fan base with more than a few concerns. Fortunately, the Kings have mitigated them to an extent.
Sacramento made the smart contract choice with Simmons
From a financial perspective, the Kings are struggling with some severe payroll limitations. All they had to offer Simmons was a one-year veteran minimum contract worth $3.5 million. NBA subsidies cover over a million of that, meaning the impact on the Kings' salary cap is minimal.
The key here is not the money so much as it is the term of the contract. Sacramento made the right call by only signing Simmons on a one-year deal. It gives them a chance to assess Simmons, see how he operates as part of the franchise, and make a decision on his long-term potential.
If Simmons ends up getting injured or starts demanding a trade, the longest the Kings have to wait to be rid of him is the end of this season. It's the perfect off-ramp if this relationship doesn't work out the way they want it to. In the meantime, the Kings have a backup point guard and rookie mentor.
That being said, there is a real possibility that Simmons plays incredibly well and another team makes him an offer when his Kings' deal is up. If that happens, the Kings move on with more salary cap space to work with. Ultimately, they needed a point guard and got one.
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