Doug Christie didn’t hide the reasoning behind Ben Simmons sitting out Tuesday night.
After Simmons made his preseason debut for Sacramento on Saturday against Golden State, posting seven points in nine minutes, plenty of eyes were on whether he’d be back in the mix versus Portland. Instead, the veteran was absent as the Kings fell 110-98 to the Trail Blazers for their fourth preseason loss. Christie made it clear the decision was about the bigger picture.
“As I told you guys the other night, we’re going to do what’s best for Ben. So, as we go through this, we want to listen to him, staff, everything, as we continue to build him up.
We’ll see what’s happening in the morning, and we’ll take it from there. But he has been spectacular.”
Christie doubled down on that message, saying the Kings are focused on making sure Simmons is ready to handle the grind once the games matter most.
“Everything that Ben’s doing to get his body right, to be prepared, I have no issues at all,” Christie continued. “We are all on the same page when it comes to Ben and him being ready to perform.
Would you love it that he played every night? Yeah.
But there’s a bigger picture here, and that picture is for him to be available for 82 games in the regular season when it counts; and it really counts. That’s when we need him the most.”
“As much as I want to play him in front of our fans, and we want to, we have to be smart and work together to make sure that he is the best version of himself, and we will do that,” Christie concluded.
Simmons has spent the past year focused on recovery and getting himself in shape for this return to the NBA, and the Kings believe he’s healthy and, by all accounts, in the best condition of his career. That hasn’t stopped the skepticism from lingering, but Sacramento appears committed to easing him along rather than rushing him.
The 30-year-old’s one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Kings came with plenty of buzz, but it also came with the reality of a non-guaranteed contract. In other words, Simmons had to earn his spot during camp. That made Sacramento’s early caution understandable, even if the latest signs around him have been encouraging.
Inside the organization, Simmons has reportedly been turning heads with his play. Teammates have spoken well of him, and Christie has pointed to his value as a versatile two-way player and playmaker.
There’s also growing expectation that Simmons could start on opening night against the Los Angeles Clippers. That would be a notable step, but it also fits the way the Kings have handled him so far: carefully, but with a clear sense that he can help.
Simmons’ most recent NBA stint came with modest production, as he averaged 5.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 0.7 steals per game. He’s not being brought in to carry a scoring load. The appeal is in everything else he can do.
If Sacramento can lean into his athleticism, versatility, and court vision alongside scorers like Zach LaVine and Darius Acuff Jr., Simmons could become a real piece for this team rather than just a feel-good comeback story.
In Other News...
Kings Preseason Absences Are Suddenly Raising Bigger Questions
Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk have both become familiar faces at Kings shootarounds this preseason, even as neither has been consistently available for recent games. Sabonis has logged only limited minutes so far, and his absence stands out at a time when Sacramento is already navigating injuries elsewhere on the roster. Monks situation is murkier, with ankle soreness mentioned in reports, but he has still been around the team as the Kings continue to shape the rotation and sort out where everyone fits.
For Sacramento, the timing makes the absences harder to ignore. Sabonis has been at the center of plenty of speculation around the league, with the front office believed to be open to trading him if the right deal ever materializes, while Monks role has been trending upward as his leadership responsibilities grow. Even in preseason, those two storylines matter because the Kings are trying to build stability, not uncertainty, and every missed game only adds another layer to an already complicated early stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Roster Move Puts One Young Guard On A Crucial Path
The late-October roster churn keeps rolling around the league, and the latest move came from San Antonio, where the Spurs waived guard RJ Davis after a brief stint on an Exhibit 10 contract. Davis had already built a G League rsum with the South Bay Lakers, where he earned All-Rookie recognition, and his situation fits the familiar pattern for this time of year: a quick signing, a quick waiver, and a likely path to a teams developmental program.
Sacramento has been part of the same wave of housekeeping, joining Denver and Atlanta in making similar Exhibit 10 transactions that are designed to funnel players toward their G League affiliates. For the Kings, these moves are less about the immediate roster and more about keeping the developmental pipeline active, even if the next step for each player still has to be sorted out. [Read more 🡒]
Ben Simmons Just Made The Kings Gamble A Lot More Interesting
Ben Simmons said the Kings were the first team to come see him in person and get a look at his physical condition, a detail that helps explain why Sacramento moved quickly to bring him aboard. The one-year deal gives the Kings a low-risk way to add size, playmaking and defensive versatility behind their rookie point guard, while also giving Simmons a fresh start after missing the previous season because of injuries.
For Sacramento, the appeal is obvious: if Simmons is healthy, he can change the shape of a second unit and take some pressure off the backcourt. For Simmons, the move is about proving he can still be the kind of multipurpose presence he was once known for, and the fact that the Kings were the first to evaluate him up close hints at how much trust they were willing to place in what they saw. [Read more 🡒]