One of the first things that jumps out about the 2026-27 Sacramento Kings is the length they’ve added, and Ben Simmons is right at the center of it.
At 6-foot-10, Simmons brings the kind of size that’s obvious the moment he steps into a room. He also brings a rare blend of ball-handling and defensive flexibility, which is why Sacramento has already started trying him in different spots on both ends during the opening days of training camp. After spending last season away from the NBA while rehabbing and recovering, the former No. 1 overall pick says he’s back in ideal shape.
Malik Monk made it clear Simmons has been all over the floor early on.
“He’s playing everything,” Monk said of Simmons. He noted that Simmons has often been the one initiating the offense, which has allowed Monk to slide into more of an off-ball role.
“Playing off the ball now, I got a lot more open shots, a lot more space,” Monk continued. “He draws a lot of attention, so I’ve been liking playing with him.”
That setup makes sense for a player whose on-ball ability has never really been in doubt. The bigger question has always been how Simmons fits when someone else is running the show, especially given his lack of shooting. He has attempted just 36 threes in his 383 career games, so the Kings are working through how best to use him without asking him to be something he’s not.
Head coach Doug Christie was asked whether Simmons could function almost like a big man away from the ball.
“When he catches the ball, he can do everything with the basketball,” Christie said. “And then, depending on the person that’s closing out to him, he gets to read that, and he does that at a really high level.”
Christie was even more direct when the discussion turned to Simmons on defense.
“He can guard everybody,” Christie said.
That kind of versatility is the obvious selling point. Monk said Simmons has already been handling the ball on offense while matching up with power forwards on the other end, which gives Sacramento a very different look from possession to possession.
Keegan Murray also sees the defensive upside, especially after the Kings finished in the bottom three in defensive rating last season.
“It makes it different, especially because he’s physically gifted, athletic,” Murray said. “It’ll be cool to be able to try to build chemistry with him and things like that, and hopefully defensively we can be a lot better than previous years.”
There’s still a question of how quickly Simmons can be asked to cover every assignment at a high level again. Christie didn’t give much away when asked whether that responsibility would come right away or be built up over time.
“We’ll see,” Christie said.
For Sacramento, training camp is already about sorting out roles and putting players in the best possible spots. Zach LaVine said that’s part of the early process.
“You have to use other people’s strengths and have people in the right role and play their role as the best they can,” LaVine said.
Simmons may be the clearest example of that challenge. His shooting limitations are real, but so is the range of ways he can help. Through the first few days of camp, the Kings seem willing to dig into those possibilities.
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Simmons has not played since the 2024-25 season, which is why the contract carries so little downside for the Kings and so much intrigue for everyone else. Sacramento is clearly betting that a healthy Simmons can still change the equation for this roster, but the real question hanging over the signing is whether he can get back to the level that made him such a unique fit in the first place. [Read more 🡒]