The Sacramento Kings are betting on Ben Simmons for almost nothing, and at least one prominent voice thinks the upside is still real.
Simmons is set to try to restart his career in Sacramento on a veteran minimum deal after missing the entire 2025-26 season. The expectations are modest, but the conversation around him has already started to drift into bigger territory. NBA champion and ESPN analyst Richard Jefferson recently appeared on ESPN Australia’s The Aussie Hoops Hour and said Simmons still has the tools to reach an All-Star level again.
"Basketball, just like many other sports, as much as it is physical, it is mental. Ben's always had the talent," Jefferson said.
"Ben has the talent to be an All-Star this year. If Ben goes and has the best season, he's healthy, his back is right, he has the talent to be an All-Defensive player.
To be a Defensive Player of the Year level talent because he can guard one through five positions. And then just his ability to play."
That kind of praise would have sounded routine a few years ago. Now it lands differently.
Simmons has not made an All-Star team since the 2020-21 season with the Philadelphia 76ers, and injuries soon knocked him off the track. He missed the next full season and has not looked like the same player since.
The appeal is still easy to see. At 6-foot-10, Simmons brings size, playmaking and defensive versatility that most guards simply can’t match.
The one glaring hole has always been the three-point shot, but even that never stopped him from being a force during his Philadelphia run. The bigger question now is what remains after all the stops and starts.
"But for Ben, there's a mental aspect that's a very big part of the game," Jefferson continued. "For me, I think some of his struggles were physical, and some of them were becoming mental.
I root for every player. I want Ben to get back to the love and joy that he has for the game, because that lowers the mental stress. ...
I hope that Ben finds the joy in the game, but also is healthy to have that joy."
There are still plenty of ifs hanging over Simmons heading into the 2026-27 season. If he stays healthy and gets his confidence back - something his godfather and former coach David Patrick says has already started to happen this offseason - then the path back to relevance becomes a lot easier to imagine.
Patrick said Simmons is taking threes again and that health has helped restore the confidence he had lost over the past few years. He also said Simmons is now taking shots in live action that he would not have even tried before.
Even so, an All-Star return would be a massive swing. Players on minimum contracts almost never end up in that conversation, and Simmons would be trying to break a long drought. Since 2000, only three players have gone five or more seasons without an All-Star nod and then made it back: Brandon Ingram, Manu Ginobili and Jrue Holiday.
For Simmons to get there, the Kings would probably have to be good too. Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine would need to play like All-Stars, while players such as Darius Acuff Jr. and Keegan Murray would also have to raise their level. That is a big ask, but it is at least a possible road.
And if Sacramento does surprise people, voters may be willing to reward the comeback angle. Simmons leading the Kings back into the picture would be a strong story after so many people wrote him off.
It still feels like a long shot. But with Jefferson publicly backing the idea, Simmons is getting some national belief before even playing his first season in Sacramento.
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Ben Simmons Puts The Kings In A Risky Opening Night Spot
Ben Simmons is back on an NBA roster, and the Kings are the team willing to take the first swing. Sacramento signed the former All-Star to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal reportedly worth up to $3.5 million, betting on a player who still carries obvious talent but has spent the past season away from the league while working his way back physically and, by all accounts, trying to rebuild his confidence.
The catch is right there in the contract: nothing is locked in yet, and opening night could still come with a roster decision attached. Simmons remains the kind of player who can change the conversation if he is healthy and mentally ready, which is why Richard Jeffersons assessment still matters. The upside is easy to see for Sacramento, but the uncertainty is just as real, and it leaves the Kings with a risky situation to sort out before the season starts. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Black Is Forcing A Tough Magic Decision
Anthony Black has put the Magic in a spot where his development is no longer just a nice bonus, but a real roster question. Orlando is already staring at serious salary cap pressure with more than $150 million tied up in its top four players, and Black has shown enough as a starter to make the front office think hard about what comes next. His profile is attractive, especially on a team built around Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, even if the shooting remains a work in progress.
The bigger issue is timing, because Black could be headed toward restricted free agency at a moment when Orlando has to decide how much flexibility it can afford to sacrifice. That kind of uncertainty tends to create openings around the league, and Sacramento is one of the teams worth watching if its own roster changes open up room to chase him. For a Kings team looking to stay active in the market, Blacks mix of upside and price uncertainty could make him a name that lingers well beyond Orlando. [Read more 🡒]
Kings May Have An Unexpected Opening To Add Kris Murray
Kris Murray appears headed for free agency after Memphis waived him as the Grizzlies work to trim their roster to 15 players before the season starts. For the Kings, that creates an intriguing possibility: a chance to add a familiar young wing who could slide into a roster looking for more length, more defense and another versatile piece around the edges.
The Sacramento angle is obvious because of Keegan Murray, but the fit goes beyond family ties. Kris Murray has drawn interest for his defensive potential and his ability to do some of the connective work that teams need from the wing spots, which is why his name has surfaced alongside Ben Simmons as a possible help on that end. Whether the Kings actually move on it is still unclear, but if they want another low-usage player who can complement what they already have, this is the kind of opening that tends to get a front offices attention. [Read more 🡒]