The Golden State Warriors will be welcoming the new Sacramento Kings player Ben Simmons back to the NBA.
According to Marc J. Spears of Andscape, the Warriors, led by Stephen Curry, will be the first assignment for Simmons in his return to the NBA.
The Kings will be facing the Warriors on Saturday at the Chase Center in Golden State’s home court.
“There is optimism that Ben Simmons will make his Kings preseason debut on Saturday at Golden State, a source said,” Spears reported on X.
Ben Simmons Returns Against The Warriors
It will be the first time in two years that Simmons plays on an NBA court after sitting out the 2025-2026 NBA season to recuperate from his chronic back issues and mental health.
Over the summer, he signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Kings to jumpstart his career. While he sat out the team’s first two preseason games due to a cautious, non-injury-related ramp-up plan, earlier reports indicated that he has looked sharp in training camp.
Simmons will be sharing the court and locker room with Kings star big man Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, Malik Monk, and forward Keegan Murray. He has also been running in training camp rotations alongside rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr. and young talents like Nique Clifford, working under the direction of head coach Doug Christie.
The Warriors-Kings game will be live on television via NBC Sports Bay Area for the Warriors broadcast feed and NBC Sports California for the Kings local broadcast feed.
The game, which tips off at 5:30 p.m. PT or 8:30 p.m. ET at Chase Center, is also scheduled for a national television broadcast on ESPN.
Live coverage is available via subscription on NBA League Pass, or live TV streaming platforms that carry the regional sports networks and ESPN, such as Fubo.
Against the Warriors, Simmons will play against Draymond Green and Steph Curry in his first game back in the league.
Ben Simmons Debunks Rumors About His Love For Basketball
While he was away from the game, Ben Simmons received criticism for his lack of passion for basketball.
He debunked all of these during media day, reaffirming that basketball is his art and that he is in love with the game.
“What do I love about the game? Everything. It’s my art. I get to come out here and be creative and play hard and compete against numerous talented guys. So for me it’s just in my blood. I’ve been doing this since I was a baby,” Simmons said.
“I love this game. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have taken that year to focus on myself and get back to where I’m at.”
Simmons said he is looking forward to returning to the NBA court as he works toward playing valuable minutes with the Kings in the upcoming season.
“I miss playing the game a lot, but it’s hard to do when you’re not physically right. I’m healthy, and I’m able to compete every day,” he said.
The 30-year-old was a former No. 1 pick and a three-time NBA All-Star.
If he performs well, Simmons could sign a new deal after this season and continue his NBA career beyond this year.
Warriors Set To Welcome Back Returning Ben Simmons To The NBA