Ben Simmons will be returning to the NBA next season after signing a one-year contract with the Sacramento Kings.
Simmons did not play in the entire 2025-2026 NBA season to recuperate his physical and mental health.
The contract is worth $3.5 million and would let him regain his NBA shape with little pressure on a rebuilding team in Sacramento.
But for ESPN talking head Stephen A. Smith, Simmons should be the one paying the Kings to play for them next season.
Stephen A. called out Simmons, bringing back his issues with his mental health and his previous non-shooting mishaps.
“I’m talking about a dude at 6-foot-10, this is not an exaggeration, 6-foot-10, was ambidextrous, the handle, the passing ability, the defensive prowess,” Stephen A. said in ESPN’s First Take. “This brother could do everything but shoot. He was something special. And somehow, someway, something happened to this dude’s mental and he treated taking a shot as if you asked him to be on the front lines in Afghanistan.”
“It made no sense whatsoever. It still makes no sense to me. But I do know this. He never missed picking up his check. He always made sure he got paid. Always made sure he got his money. So now that he’s back in the league, here’s what the problem is. It’s a one-year deal. What is a $3.5 million? Here’s my question, y’all. How come he isn’t paying Sacramento?”
Stephen A. Wants Ben Simmons To Make NBA History
Stephen A. doubled down on his thoughts, and he wants to see Simmons make history as the first player to pay an NBA team to play for them.
“He should be paying them to let him play. He should be paying them to let him play. It should be in reverse. He should be the first player in the NBA that actually pays the team to let him play in NBA uniform, considering the thievery he engaged in for a few years disguised as NBA player where he was scared of his own damn shadow, but never scared to pick up the check to get the money. He should be paying them,” he said.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, who first broke the news of Ben Simmons’ signing with the Kings, the former top pick is healthy and ready to go for Sacramento.
He recently participated in a private minicamp with the Australian national team in Melbourne and showed no physical limitations.
Simmons passed an in-depth medical examination and on-court workout with the Sacramento Kings before finalizing his new deal.
Simmons last played 18 games for the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2024-25 season, but on a very limited role.
Ben Simmons’ NBA Downfall
The past five years saw Simmons go from a three-time All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year runner-up to a bench player plagued by injuries and a loss of confidence.
It started during Game 7 of the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals, when Simmons passed up an open dunk over Trae Young. This play shattered his confidence, drew public criticism from his coach and teammates, and fractured his relationship with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Following a bitter holdout and a trade to the Brooklyn Nets in 2022, his transition was severely hindered by chronic back issues, including back surgeries for a herniated disc and nerve impingement.
These physical ailments, combined with an apparent psychological challange regarding his shooting, stripped away his elite athleticism and aggression.
In Sacramento, Simmons gets the chance to revive his NBA career.
Stephen A. Roasts Ben Simmons Ahead Of NBA Return