While not everyone seems to agree, the Sacramento Kings signing Ben Simmons has the potential to be good for the team. If nothing else, the risks are honestly quite minimal. That doesn't mean he takes priority over developing the Kings' young guns, particularly someone like Darius Acuff Jr.
After spending a season away from the NBA to heal himself, Simmons is returning via Sacramento. The Kings signed him to a one-year veteran minimum contract with the goal of him being Acuff's backup. If Simmons stays healthy enough to play 10 minutes per game, he's doing great.
What the Kings need to be careful about is how many minutes they give Simmons. Adding him to the roster isn't about rehabbing Simmons' image or returning him to the league. The sole purpose of signing him was to give Acuff some sort of support at point guard, something he was sorely lacking.
The Kings need to limit Simmons' minutes
At the same time, Sacramento cannot forget that they have several rookies and sophomores who need minutes to continue their development. Yes, that includes Acuff, but there are several other names on that list. Their growth is more important than anything to do with Simmons.
It's been a minute since Simmons played at full speed, so some people may have forgotten exactly how versatile a player he is. The Kings could slot him in at several positions and do well. That doesn't mean they should. Honestly, it's not even just about making sure young players get minutes.
Simmons has a well-documented history of injury issues. The more he plays, the more he puts himself in danger of adding to that history. Being that Sacramento currently doesn't have another dedicated point guard outside of Simmons and Acuff, that's a pretty risky move.
Sacramento must keep their eyes on the future
The most important thing the Kings need to do this season is to continue planning for the future. Simmons has the potential to do great things for Sacramento now, but that's not the goal. The likelihood of Sacramento even making it out of the NBA's basement this season is low.
What the Kings are doing in this rebuild is getting ready for five years from now. They are developing young players like Acuff, Alex Karaban, Emanuel Sharp, Maxime Raynaud, and Dylan Cardwell to be the Kings' roster that makes some noise. Simmons isn't really part of that future.
Court time has to go to relevant rookies and sophomores before Simmons. Not because he isn't valuable to the current iteration of the Kings, but because those young players are the future of the Kings. They have to be the focus if this rebuild is going anywhere.
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