The Sacramento Kings still have work to do before their 2026-27 roster is complete, and now one of the biggest names on the free-agent market has apparently entered the picture.
The team has 13 players on standard contracts, which leaves them short of the NBA’s 14-player minimum. With September approaching, the Kings still need to add at least one more body, and veteran guards Victor Oladipo, Cam Payne and Elfrid Payton have already been floated as possible fits.
Ben Simmons is now part of that conversation, too.
According to Sactown Sports 1140’s Carmichael Dave, general manager Scott Perry is in Florida to watch Simmons go through a workout. Dave made it clear that the situation is still a little murky, but he also put the possibility out there that the Kings are directly involved.
"Sactown Sports is now officially reporting that Sacramento Kings general manager Scott Perry is in Florida ... [for] Ben Simmons," Dave said. "He could be one of 30 people.
I don't know the details. I just know they're in the same place, at the same time.
We've all been waiting for this moment. Could it finally be happening? ...
Dare I say he's working out for the Kings? He could be working out for a lot of people."
Simmons, 30, sat out the entire 2025-26 season and is trying to make his way back into the NBA. He’s still a rare player on paper: a 6-foot-10 point guard who can handle the ball and defend at a high level. He was a first-round pick and has made three All-Star teams, which is why a return to the league would not be hard to imagine.
For Sacramento, the fit is easy to understand. The Kings have been looking for a veteran point guard behind rookie Darius Acuff Jr., and Simmons would check that box while bringing size, passing and versatility. The lack of a jump shot has always made him a polarizing player, but his overall package remains difficult to ignore.
The interest also matters because it suggests the Kings may be willing to swing bigger than the other names already linked to them. Simmons would likely bring more impact than Oladipo, Payne or Payton, even if a workout alone does not guarantee anything. Dave noted that it is not certain Perry is in Florida only to see Simmons, but the fact that the two are in the same place at the same time is enough to make the situation worth watching.
Simmons has also been back on the floor with the Australian men’s national team in Melbourne, where he has been hitting jumpers as he attempts his comeback. Several teams are reportedly interested, and Sacramento may now be one of them.
The Kings are still sorting out their final move, and Simmons has become a name to take seriously. He would not solve everything, but he could give them a real contribution - and maybe the best upside of the options they’ve been considering.
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Kings Are Weighing A Risky Ben Simmons Gamble
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The concern, of course, is the same one that has followed Simmons for years. His injuries have cost him significant time, and Sacramento is weighing whether the upside is worth the uncertainty. If the Kings do decide to move forward, a short-term deal would be the logical way to manage the risk while leaving themselves room to reassess what Simmons can still provide. [Read more 🡒]
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The early NBA adjustment, though, has made the case for patience. Acuff has already run into the usual growing pains that come with life at the next level, especially on defense and in finding more reliable scoring from night to night, and that is where the Kings and their fans may have to give him time to settle in before the picture gets clearer. [Read more 🡒]
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What will make those decisions linger is the familiar sight of both players back on the schedule. DeRozan landed with the Nuggets on a one-year deal, and the Kings will eventually have to see the veteran forward in another uniform while Carter, too, returns as part of the Hawks matchup. For a team trying to move forward, those games will serve as a reminder of how abruptly the roster shifted. [Read more 🡒]