Ben Simmons Frontrunner Emerges

August 30, 2026 , ,
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Ben Simmons is ready for a return to the NBA. Does he still have it in him to return to his three-time All-Star form? That remains to be seen. But from all reports, he is in "great shape" this offseason (haven't we heard that one before?), and now he's trying out for teams. 

Sacramento Kings GM Scott Perry watched Simmons work out this past week, and according to those in the know, Simmons "looked fantastic", impressing Perry to the point where he is "strongly considering" offering the former No. 1 overall pick a contract.

Former Kings head coach and general manager Jerry Reynolds weighed in, figuring it's a low-risk, high-reward gamble worth taking... At the right price. 

"It looks like he actually wants to play basketball again!... That's the No. 1 thing besides his health. It looks like he could be ready to go and play at the level somewhere near the way he did prior to the last 2 or 3 years," said Reynolds. 

"He's a multi-position guy, and has been an All-Star. Obviously, he's not going to score a lot, but this is a team that could really use a guy who can guard people, which he could do in his prime. 

"You could run him (positionally) as a 4‑3‑2‑1… That’s something the Kings don’t have."

If you could get a former No. 1 pick who could play close to the way he did his first few years in the league, it would be worth the risk. Especially at the right price. And the right price in my mind would be almost no guaranteed money.

There aren't many teams rushing to drop wads of cash in Simmons' lap, so a cheap deal is probably all he's going to garner after his complete indifference and disinterest in playing the past few years. 

Simmons last played in the NBA in the 2024-25 season, splitting his time between the Brooklyn Nets and the LA Clippers. He averaged 5.0 PPG and 5.6 assists per game, averaging 22 minutes a night in 51 contests. 

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