The Sacramento Kings no longer look thin at backup point guard.
What had been a looming issue just a few weeks ago now looks a lot more manageable after the team added both Ben Simmons and Elfrid Payton, two ball handlers who can help Sacramento organize the offense and give head coach Doug Christie more ways to mix and match.
Before those signings, the picture was a lot shakier. No. 7 overall pick Darius Acuff Jr. was the only true point guard on the roster, while Malik Monk and Nique Clifford were the more unconventional options to run the second unit.
Payton gives the Kings a proven table setter. Sacramento worked him out in late August while searching for a veteran NBA point guard, and the former lottery pick has averaged nearly six assists per game over his career.
He didn’t play in the NBA last season, but when he did get a chance with the New Orleans Pelicans late in the 2024-2025 season, he showed plenty of juice as a passer, piling up 10 or more assists in seven of his 11 appearances. His playmaking has never really been the question.
The issue has always been the shooting and scoring, which kept him from fully hitting his ceiling. In Sacramento, he won’t be asked to do too much of that.
Simmons brings a different kind of value. He has the size to give the Kings more versatility, and like Payton, he impressed in his workout.
Christie reportedly was ready to sign the former Rookie of the Year within minutes of watching him go. Simmons sat out last season while recovering from multiple injuries and the off-court issues that slowed the early momentum of his career, but the reaction to the signing has been strong.
Richard Jefferson, a 2016 NBA Champion, said Simmons could be an All-Star level player this season.
The fit on defense is part of the appeal too. Simmons gives Sacramento a needed defensive presence on a bench group that leans offense-first.
Marc J. Spears said on NBA Today that Simmons is the likeliest candidate to win the backup point guard job: "An excited Ben...he's healthy.
He took a year off to get healthy, and they list him at guard. They want him to back up Darius Acuff and he's already in Sacramento getting ready for next season,"
Still, with Payton now in the mix, Simmons may not be limited to that role. He could also spend time in the frontcourt, giving the Kings even more options than they had when this search began.
In Other News...
Kings Rebuild Just Reached A Spot Fans Often Overlook
The Kings offseason rebuild has moved beyond roster talk and into the kind of infrastructure changes that can shape a season just as much as a trade or signing. On Sept. 14, the team announced a significant overhaul of its coaching staff, promoting D.J. Ham to assistant coach and bringing in Joe Ajike as head of player development as it continues reshaping the people tasked with guiding the group day to day.
Jason Maxiell also moved up from the Stockton Kings to player development coach, while Brendan Suhr was added as an assistant coach and Imhotep Tap George came aboard as a coaching associate. It is the sort of behind-the-scenes reset fans can easily overlook, but for a franchise in the middle of a broader organizational rebuild, these are the hires that can determine how quickly the next version of the Kings starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Still Face One Big Sabonis Trade Decision
Sacramento has spent the offseason fielding the kind of trade chatter that follows any established star, but Domantas Sabonis has stayed put for one simple reason: the Kings are not treating him like a salary dump. Interest has surfaced from Charlotte, yet the asking price has been high enough that the two sides have not found common ground, with draft capital part of the discussion as Sacramento looks for positive value in return.
Jake Fischer reported that this has become a broader market issue, not just a one-team conversation. Other clubs have been hesitant to match the Kings demands or to give Sabonis the contract extension he wants, which leaves Sacramento in an awkward but familiar spot. For now, the Kings still have their All-Star center, and there is a growing sense they may choose continuity over a reset as they try to stay competitive through the 2026-27 season. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Expansion Draft Talk Puts Some Costly Veterans On Thin Ice
The NBAs reported target of adding two expansion teams in the 2028-29 season has already stirred up a familiar sort of roster anxiety around the league, and Sacramento is no exception. If an expansion draft were held now, each club could protect eight players, forcing front offices to make some uncomfortable choices about which veterans and rotation pieces they can live without.
Bleacher Reports early speculation on the Kings potential exposure included names such as Zach LaVine, Malik Monk, Alex Karaban, Daeqwon Plowden and Ben Simmons, with contract situations, injuries and overall roster balance all part of the discussion. None of that is official, of course, but it does underline the kind of pressure an expansion draft can create, especially for a team trying to keep enough proven talent while still preserving flexibility. [Read more 🡒]