The Kings are still hunting for backcourt help, and the list of names attached to them keeps getting longer.
Ben Simmons is now in the mix. Carmichael Dave of Sactown Sports 1140 reported that Kings general manager Scott Perry watched Simmons work out in Florida on Tuesday.
Simmons, the former No. 1 overall pick, has been trying to work his way back into the league after sitting out the 2025/26 season. The 30-year-old recently said he’s on the comeback trail and looking for another NBA shot.
He’s dealt with back issues in recent years, though reporting earlier this month said he’s healthier now and has regained his previous athleticism.
Simmons wasn’t the only familiar name showing up on Sacramento’s radar. Trainer Ryan Powell posted Instagram photos over the weekend from a Miami workout that included Simmons and Victor Oladipo, another free agent guard tied to the Kings.
Gabe Vincent is also being considered. Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report said Sacramento is one more free agent guard evaluating, and noted that a return to Miami is still an option for the seven-year veteran. Fischer also said Vincent passed on an offer to return to the Hawks earlier in free agency.
The Kings’ target is pretty clear: they want a veteran point guard who can handle a bench role and also help mentor lottery pick Darius Acuff Jr., who is expected to log most of the minutes at the position. Along with Simmons, Oladipo and Vincent, Sacramento has also been linked to Cameron Payne and Elfrid Payton. The team had reportedly shown interest in bringing back Russell Westbrook before he announced his retirement.
Sacramento has room to make it happen. After using the stretch provision on DeMar DeRozan’s $10MM cap hit, the Kings are about $5.34MM below the luxury tax line with 13 players on standard contracts.
That gives them enough flexibility to fill their final two roster spots with minimum-salary signings and stay out of tax territory. One of those openings, all signs point to, will go to a point guard.
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Kings Just Sent A Clear Message About DeMar DeRozans Future
Sacramentos offseason payroll picture got a little clearer when general manager Scott Perry chose to use the NBAs stretch provision on DeMar DeRozans $10 million guaranteed salary for the upcoming season. The move spreads the cap hit over three years instead of keeping it all on the books at once, which eases the immediate luxury tax pressure and helps the Kings get below the $200 million threshold.
Perry has already taken other steps to trim salary, including a trade that reduced the teams spending, and the pattern points to a front office focused on financial control as much as roster building. For DeRozan, its another reminder that Sacramento is making decisions with the long view in mind, even if the full shape of the roster is still taking form. [Read more 🡒]
Why Alex Karaban Could Help The Kings Right Away
Alex Karaban arrived in Sacramento with the kind of rsum front offices like to point to when they talk about fit, not flash. The 6-foot-8 forward won two national championships at UConn, picked up All-Big East honors in 2025 and 2026, and brought the sort of versatility the Kings clearly prioritized when they moved up in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers to grab him in the first round of the 2026 NBA draft.
For a team looking to shore up the edges around its established core, Karaban checks several useful boxes right away. His perimeter shooting, defensive reliability and leadership give him a chance to carve out minutes as a trusted role player, even if he is not expected to open the season in the starting five. The larger question now is how quickly Sacramento can turn that blend of polish and winning habits into production at the NBA level. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Face A Costly Center Question They May Need To Drop
Jalen Durens rise in Detroit has put him on the radar of teams looking for help up front, and Sacramento is among the clubs that at least checked the temperature. The Pistons center, now a restricted free agent after an All-Star season and an All-NBA Third Team nod, is in line for a significant raise, but the Kings have been operating with limited flexibility and already have multiple centers under contract.
That cap reality has made the idea of prying Duren away feel more like a concept than a practical route. Sacramento explored the possibility enough to show interest, but it did not move into a sign-and-trade framework involving Domantas Sabonis, and with the roster math the way it is, the Kings seem far more likely to keep looking at the center spot from a distance than to make a costly swing for one of the markets most expensive names. [Read more 🡒]