The Warriors reportedly were among the teams pursuing Ben Simmons before he found his next home in Sacramento with the Kings.
The Kings and Simmons agreed to a deal after a search that first included interest in Russell Westbrook, who opted to retire instead, and Victor Oladipo, per The Athletic’s Sam Amick. League sources told Amick that the New York Knicks and Warriors also were involved in the pursuit before Sacramento ultimately landed him — with Amick’s own framing of the deal: “the latest Simmons experiment begins — again.”
The Warriors’ interest fits a roster still searching for size and secondary playmaking behind an aging core, particularly with Jimmy Butler’s timeline for a full return from his torn ACL still uncertain. Simmons, a three-time All-Star and former No. 1 overall pick, offers exactly that kind of size and playmaking versatility when healthy — even if his recent NBA history has been defined more by absence than availability.
Simmons has not played since April 2025, when he finished that season with the Los Angeles Clippers after being bought out by the Brooklyn Nets, appearing in 51 total games across both stops. In the time since, his focus shifted almost entirely away from basketball — Simmons became the controlling operator of the South Florida Sails, a deep-sea fishing team competing in the Sport Fishing Championship, according to a Men’s Health feature published in June.
Whether Simmons can offer the Kings, or any team, meaningful minutes after more than a year away remains to be seen. For the Warriors, missing out means the search for more help continues elsewhere.