Ben Simmons’ path back to the floor has taken a sharp turn in Sacramento, and the early signs are pointing the right way.
After sitting out the entire last season and facing serious questions about whether he’d get another shot on an NBA roster, Simmons earned his opportunity with the Kings by standing out in a workout this summer. From there, he has started to build momentum again, and he recently made it clear he believes the year away from basketball was exactly what he needed.
“I just think for myself, I needed it. People can say what they want about not wanting to play, this, that, and the third.
But I needed to get away from the game, I needed to get my back right to be able to play this game at a high level,” Simmons told NBC Sports California’s Deuce Mason and Morgan Ragan. “I think the one thing people kept saying to me was, ‘It’s gonna be hard to get back.’
And I was fine with that, but I also know what I’m able to give the game. So taking that year off is the best thing I’ve done in my career.”
That’s a bold statement from a player who has spent the last few years bouncing through frustration. The slide really started in Philadelphia during the 2021 NBA playoffs, when his offensive limitations were laid bare and his confidence cratered to the point that he was passing up open layups. The criticism piled up, the relationship with the team unraveled, and Simmons eventually pointed to mental health concerns as part of the fallout.
A trade to the Brooklyn Nets followed, but injuries undercut any chance at a smooth reset. Over the next three seasons, he missed more than half of the team’s games before landing with the Los Angeles Clippers, where he largely disappeared from the picture. Season after season, the story around Simmons stayed the same: he just wasn’t in the right physical or mental space to perform at the level he expected from himself.
Sacramento has given him something he hasn’t had in a while - a clean slate. He turned heads at training camp, where he made a strong impression on the coaching staff, and he followed that up with a preseason showing that hinted at more to come. In just nine minutes, he scored seven points and added one assist while shooting 50%.
On paper, that line won’t jump off the page. But for a player who was out of the league only a few months ago, it matters. There’s even a chance he could crack the Kings’ starting lineup by opening night.
Simmons still has plenty to prove, but he looks like a different player than the one fans saw in Brooklyn and Los Angeles. He’s owned the past, talked openly about needing the break, and now has a team that believes the comeback is real.
In Other News...
Kings Final Two-Way Choice Says Plenty About Their Roster Priorities
After weighing their preseason options, the Kings have turned their final two-way spot over to Leaky Black, waiving Isaiah Stevens in the process. Black, an undrafted 2023 forward who previously held a two-way deal with Washington, earned the look with a preseason showing that highlighted the kind of support skills Sacramento clearly values: defense, three-point shooting and rebounding.
The move also says plenty about where the roster is headed at the margins. With Black joining Adam Flagler and Jonathan Mogbo on two-way contracts, the Kings have filled all three of those slots with players who bring different complementary pieces, and Blacks arrival suggests the team is still sorting out which young role players can provide the most immediate help as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Just Gave Fans A New Defense First Name To Watch
The Kings have added another name to the roster mix, converting forward Leaky Blacks Exhibit 10 contract into a two-way deal. Sacramento had an open two-way spot to work with, so the move comes without any corresponding roster shuffle, and it gives the club a closer look at a player who has already logged NBA time with the Hornets and Wizards.
Black has also made a case for himself with the Kings in preseason and in the G League, where his defensive versatility has stood out enough to keep him in the conversation. For a team still sorting through the edges of its roster, the move gives Sacramento a low-risk way to keep evaluating a wing who fits the kind of depth every contender eventually needs. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Mogbo Is Forcing His Way Into A Real Kings Debate
Jonathan Mogbo has spent the preseason turning a two-way deal into something much more interesting for Sacramento. The 24-year-old forward has stood out in three appearances, using his length and athleticism to affect both ends of the floor while putting together a line that has caught the eye of the coaching staff.
For a Kings team still sorting out its regular-season rotation, that kind of early momentum matters. Injuries have left room for someone to push into the conversation, and Mogbo has done enough to make his case for minutes before the games start to count, even if the final answer is still being sorted out. [Read more 🡒]