The Kings are still sorting through their guard options, and Ben Simmons has emerged as one name in the mix. If Sacramento ends up making that move, it would be for one reason in particular: helping Darius Acuff Jr. grow into the job.
Sacramento has been looking for a veteran guard who can mentor Acuff, the No. 7 overall pick in this year’s draft, and Will Zimmerle of NBA on SI points to Simmons’ playmaking as a skill that could be especially useful for the rookie. That part of Simmons’ game has never really been in doubt. Across seven NBA seasons, he has averaged 7.2 assists, and at his peak he was one of the league’s more inventive passers, especially in transition.
Acuff is known mostly as a scorer, but the Kings believe there’s more to him than that. He showed some encouraging court vision in summer league and is set to open the season as Sacramento’s only traditional point guard.
Simmons, of course, comes with his own baggage. He didn’t play in the NBA last season, and the Kings have also been tied to several other veteran guards.
Still, if the goal is to put someone in Acuff’s ear about finding teammates, Simmons fits that part of the assignment. Just not the shooting part.
In Cleveland, Mario Hezonja is making himself harder to ignore. The veteran forward has been piling up points for Croatia, and that’s starting to raise a real question about how the Cavaliers might use him if he sticks.
Zach Weiss of NBA on SI argued that Cleveland should not reduce Hezonja to a spot-up role, and the latest stretch of international play backs up that case. Hezonja scored 65 points across two recent FIBA qualifying games, highlighted by a 28-point, seven-assist outing in Croatia’s win over Latvia. After six seasons overseas, he’s back in the NBA with a much more polished offensive package than the one he had when he left.
That still doesn’t mean the Cavaliers are about to give him a major role. Hezonja signed a one-year, non-guaranteed deal, and he has plenty of players ahead of him on the depth chart. But if he makes the roster, there should be room for a forward who can create a little offense with the second unit.
Especially when James Harden or Donovan Mitchell is sitting.
Cleveland does not need Hezonja to turn into something bigger than he is. But if even some of that overseas scoring travels with him, the Cavaliers may have found a useful bench option.
The Knicks, meanwhile, are still hunting for a center, and Yves Missi keeps giving them reasons to wonder what might have been. Missi put up 24 points, nine rebounds and four blocks for Cameroon in a World Cup qualifier Thursday, another strong showing in a summer that reportedly saw New York try multiple times to get him from the Pelicans.
Those attempts didn’t go anywhere, and the Knicks are still trying to solve the backup center spot behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond as opening night approaches. Isaiah De Los Santos of NBA on SI reported that New York has taken several swings at the position, including pursuing Karlo Matković and making an offer to restricted free agent Moussa Cissé, which was matched.
Some veteran options are still out there, including Kelly Olynyk, Dwight Powell, Mason Plumlee and Bismack Biyombo. Simmons has also been linked to New York, though he would not answer the need for a true center.
Missi would have done that, while also giving the Knicks some long-term upside. Instead, they’re left watching him shine for Cameroon and keeping the search going.
In Other News...
Cavaliers Just Sent Another Clear Message About Rocket Arenas Future
The Cavaliers have added another piece to their growing footprint around downtown Cleveland, buying a former bar at 721 Bolivar Road in the Gateway District for $1 million. The property sits in an area that has become increasingly important to the teams long-term planning, especially as Rocket Arena and the surrounding blocks continue to draw attention beyond game nights.
The purchase also fits a broader pattern around the district, where nearby property moves by the Guardians have helped signal how much value teams now place on controlling the land around their venues. After a season that kept the Cavaliers in the conversation and with the next one on the horizon, the latest acquisition only adds to the sense that the organization is thinking well beyond the court and into what comes next for the building and its neighborhood. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Last Roster Spot Suddenly Carries More Weight Than Expected
With training camp drawing closer, the Cavaliers last few roster decisions have taken on more importance than a typical end-of-summer cleanup. Cleveland waived forward Cam Whitmore and now has two guaranteed contracts left to hand out, all while working with limited salary cap space and trying to strengthen the frontcourt depth behind its core.
One option under consideration is Saliou Niang, a 2025 second-round pick whose rights the Cavaliers control. Niang has spent time playing overseas and is also tied up with LSU and international competition, which adds another layer to a front office already sorting through timing, availability and fit. For a team still looking to add size before camp opens, the final move may end up being less about filling a seat and more about finding the right kind of big man at the right moment. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Camp Battle Could Open Door For A Surprising Depth Fix
The Cavaliers summer has already been shaped by the Peyton Watson sign-and-trade, and the ripple effects reach beyond the top of the roster. With salary cap flexibility now tighter, Cleveland may have to get creative to round out training camp, and Exhibit 9 contracts offer a low-cost way to invite veterans or reclamation projects into the mix. It is the sort of move that does not change the front of the depth chart, but can still matter when the goal is to add competition, test fit and maybe uncover a useful piece.
That search has put a few familiar names in the conversation, including Ochai Agbaji, Reath and Simmons, each bringing a different appeal and a different question mark. The Cavs can use camp to see whether shooting, defense or a bounce-back case is worth betting on, while also weighing concerns about recent production and health. In a roster-building phase where every slot matters a little more, even the last few openings could become part of a bigger fix. [Read more 🡒]