Ben Simmons apparently had a chance to chase a championship with the New York Knicks. He chose Sacramento instead.
The Knicks and Golden State Warriors were interested in signing Simmons to Exhibit 10 training-camp contracts before the three-time All-Star joined the Sacramento Kings, ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel reported on the September 19 episode of “Clutch Scoops.”
“The Golden State Warriors and the New York Knicks were both interested in signing him to an Exhibit 10 training camp deal,” Siegel said.
Minnesota also reached out with a nonguaranteed opportunity, according to Siegel. Simmons bypassed all three and signed with Sacramento.
On the surface, turning down the defending NBA champions for a rebuilding Kings team is an unusual choice.
The contracts tell a different story.
Ben Simmons Chose Kings Over Knicks Opportunity
Sacramento signed Simmons to a one-year, $3.5 million contract after he spent the entire 2025-26 season out of the NBA, according to NBA.com.
The Kings officially announced the signing on September 8.
New York’s reported interest came with considerably less security.
An Exhibit 10 deal would have given Simmons an invitation to training camp and an opportunity to compete for a roster spot. Sacramento gave him an NBA contract.
There was also a basketball component.
Siegel said Simmons chose the Kings because the organization “believes in him” and has “a clear vision for how to use him.”
That makes Sacramento a logical landing spot for a player attempting to restart a career that has looked very different from his All-Star years in Philadelphia.
Simmons last played during the 2024-25 season, appearing in 51 games between the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers. He averaged 5.0 points, 5.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 22 minutes per game.
Now 30, Simmons doesn’t need Sacramento to contend for a title. He needs minutes.
Knicks Already Have Crowded Training-Camp Battle
The Knicks couldn’t necessarily promise those.
New York has already loaded up its training-camp roster with veterans competing for limited opportunities. Drew Eubanks signed an Exhibit 9 contract, while James Wiseman, Bruce Brown, Ochai Agbaji and John Konchar are among the players fighting for roster space ahead of camp.
Financial constraints add another complication.
The Knicks entered the late stages of the offseason with only 13 of the required 14 standard contracts filled, with their proximity to the second apron limiting how freely they can use the final spots.
For Simmons, that would have meant arriving at camp with something to prove and no guarantee he would still be there when the regular season began.
Sacramento removed that uncertainty.
Ben Simmons Gets Different Kind of Opportunity in Sacramento
There is some irony in the decision.
New York is coming off an NBA championship and has Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and a roster constructed to make another run. Simmons could have joined a team with championship expectations immediately.
Instead, he picked the situation with fewer expectations.
Siegel and ClutchPoints’ Tomer Azarly discussed that dynamic, noting that Simmons has spent much of his career on teams where his performance carried significant expectations. Sacramento offers something different: room to make mistakes and play through them.
For a player trying to establish himself again after a year away, that could matter more than proximity to a championship.
The Knicks offered a chance to compete for one.
The Kings offered Simmons a clearer chance to play.
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