Ben Simmons didn’t leave much room for doubt at Kings media day.
The Sacramento newcomer, brought in on a one-year, non-guaranteed veteran-minimum deal after a quiet 2026 offseason, made it clear he isn’t arriving in Sacramento to blend in. At 30, after sitting out the entire 2025-26 season, Simmons said he’s ready to get back on the floor and “dominate.”
“To dominate,” Simmons said when asked about his goals for the season. “Every time I step on the floor, to dominate.”
That kind of edge is exactly what Kings fans were hoping to hear from a player whose career has been defined by both elite flashes and years of scrutiny. Simmons reminded everyone what he once was in Philadelphia, where he won Rookie of the Year, made three All-Star teams, finished in the top four in Defensive Player of the Year voting twice, and was widely seen as one of the league’s brightest young stars through his first four seasons.
But the more recent chapter has been far messier, marked by injuries, physical and mental hurdles, and plenty of criticism from around the NBA. Simmons said he believes that version of himself is back.
“I’m there. He’s there. He woke up,” Simmons said about the player he once was.
He also sounded fully aware of the external noise surrounding both him and the Kings. Sacramento won just 22 games last season and is being projected as the worst team in the league this year, but Simmons said that lack of belief can work in their favor.
“Seeing this team, I think the expectations are low, but I feel like that’s something that’s been on me too. We can relate in that way, so I think we have a chip on our shoulder,” he said.
“... There’s no pressure.
They don’t expect anything from us. For us, to go out there and show we’re capable of winning games and having a good team, that’s doable.”
That message fits the moment for a Kings team looking to turn skepticism into motivation. It also fits Simmons, one of the league’s most criticized players, whose decision to sign was met with plenty of doubt before he even stepped on the court.
For now, though, the biggest question is health, and Simmons insisted that part is no longer a concern. After spending a year away from the game, he said the time away did exactly what he needed.
“I’m right where I need to be,” he said about his health. “I took a lot of time to focus on my body over the season, and I think it was the best thing I’ve done and the decision I’ve made in my career.
I’m looking forward to getting going. I feel great and I’m ready to go.
No limitations.”
He drove that point home even more bluntly when asked about his condition: “I’ve got no limitations.”
For Kings fans, that was the kind of answer they were waiting for. Simmons came in sounding confident, healthy, and eager to prove that the league’s expectations have it wrong. If that holds, Sacramento may have found a lot more than a low-risk signing.
In Other News...
Kings Interest In Jalen Duren Just Got A Lot More Serious
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The catch is the same one that has shadowed Sacramentos pursuit from the start: the Kings do not have the cap room to sign Duren to a max deal right now. So the focus has turned to creating a path, and that has reportedly included exploring a Domantas Sabonis trade to clear the necessary space. If Sacramento can get that flexibility, Duren becomes a much more realistic target either before or during the 2026 season, or when he reaches free agency in 2027. [Read more 🡒]
Kings New-Look Roster Is Already Fueling A Brutal 2026-27 Debate
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Lloyd also raised questions about whether newcomers Darius Acuff Jr. and DeAndre Hunter will live up to the expectations attached to them, which only adds to the uncertainty around Sacramentos next step. And if the Kings do decide Domantas Sabonis is part of the answer they want to move off of, Lloyd suggested they may have to be more realistic about the trade return than they would like. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Final Two-Way Spot May Be Down To One Young Guard
The Kings have brought Tristen Newton into 2024 training camp, putting the former UConn guard squarely in the mix for one of the team's two-way openings. Newton arrives with a G League-heavy resume and some real pedigree, since he was a 2024 second-round pick by the Pacers before Sacramento picked up his rights in a trade involving the Stockton Kings.
For a roster still sorting out its final developmental spot, Newton is the kind of player worth a long look: young, experienced in the G League grind, and familiar enough to the organization through the Stockton connection. He also went on to earn All-NBA G League First Team honors in 2026, which only adds to the intrigue around whether the Kings see him as the right fit for that last two-way slot. [Read more 🡒]