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Ben Simmons to make NBA comeback after finding new team

Ben Simmons in action for Los Angeles Clippers last year.
Ben Simmons in action for Los Angeles Clippers last year. LUKE HALES / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

Australian Ben Simmons, who missed last season with nagging back injuries, has agreed on a one-year NBA comeback deal with the Sacramento Kings, according to multiple reports on Friday.

The 30-year-old point guard was the top pick in the 2016 draft by Philadelphia but missed the 2016-17 campaign with a broken right foot only to earn the 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year award.

Simmons last played in the NBA in early 2025 as a reserve with the Los Angeles Clippers but ESPN and The Athletic reported he has come to terms on a deal worth $3.5 million with the Kings, who were reportedly impressed with his performance at a workout this week.

He will likely serve as a backup for rookie guard Darius Acuff, the seventh pick in last June's draft, as well as a possible fill-in at other roster positions.

Simmons averaged 13.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists a game over eight NBA seasons, producing his best numbers with the 76ers before sitting out the 2021-22 campaign then being traded to Brooklyn, where he struggled and was waived in 2025 before finishing the season with the Clippers.

Simmons boosted interest from clubs last month after a strong training camp with the Australian national team.

The Kings were 22-60 last season and dropped guards DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook in the off-season.

Sacramento have reached the playoffs only once since 2006, suffering a first-round loss to Golden State in 2023.

The Kings last won a playoff series in 2004 and the franchise won its lone NBA title in 1951 as the Rochester Royals, their 75 years since reaching the NBA Finals a dubious league record.