The Sacramento Kings didn’t make a quiet addition when they brought in Ben Simmons. They took a swing on a former No. 1 overall pick whose career has been defined as much by what he could be as what he’s been able to show on the floor. And according to Scott Perry, the early signs around Simmons are exactly why Sacramento was willing to roll the dice.
Perry spoke with Carmichael Dave and Jason Ross on Sactown Sports 1140 about the conversations that helped lead Simmons to the Kings, and the message from the guard-forward was pretty direct. “A couple things that came out right away from him was that this is the first time [he's] been healthy in two years, and [he's] been healthy going on four to five months.
And secondly, probably most importantly, obviously health being very important, not to take anything away from that, but his mental, he said I just miss playing basketball. I miss competing, I miss being part of a team.
I just want to be able to contribute to a team and get back to playing basketball.”
That kind of quote tells you why this move has so much intrigue around it. Simmons isn’t just trying to prove he can get back on the court. He’s trying to get back to feeling like himself again.
Health is obviously the big question, and at age 30, it’s the question that can swing everything for Sacramento. If Simmons is actually back to full strength, he has a chance to alter the Kings’ outlook this season and maybe even longer than that.
The fact that Perry said Simmons has been healthy for four to five months matters, but so does the part about his mental state. For a player who has had a rough run over the last few years, that’s not a small detail.
Sacramento also looks like a far softer place to restart than the spots Simmons has already been through in Philadelphia, Brooklyn, and Los Angeles. He’s not being asked to rescue the franchise.
That isn’t the assignment. Darius Acuff Jr. is clearly the guy in that role.
What Simmons does have is a real chance to earn minutes. Maybe even a starting job.
The Kings have more wing depth than they’ve had in years, but there isn’t a future core piece sitting there blocking his path. That’s a big reason the signing stood out immediately: the risk is limited, and the upside is obvious.
None of that guarantees this turns into meaningful basketball or a real playoff push. The Kings still have a lot to sort through.
But if you look at the roster and squint a little, there’s at least some cohesion there that wasn’t as easy to find last season. A healthy Simmons would not solve everything, but he could be the kind of first step that gives Sacramento a real chance to surprise people.
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