Put another shrimp on the barbie in Sacramento, mates. Ben Simmons is coming to the Sacramento Kings.<\/p>\n
Simmons put down his fishing pole and got back into the gym this summer, joining the Australian national team in a mini-camp this summer and later showcasing for NBA executives in Florida.<\/p>\n
What Kings general manager Scott Perry saw impressed him enough to offer Simmons a veteran minimum contract for next season. The team was reportedly looking for a veteran mentor and backup for Darius Acuff, Jr., the No. 7 pick in this year\u2019s draft. They chose Simmons, even though they might not want him to advise Acuff on shot selection, free throw shooting, communicating with the front office, three-point shooting, or injury prevention.<\/p>\n
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Warriors were \u201cin the mix\u201d for Simmons, along with the New York Knicks. The Warriors eventually chose to sign Brandon Williams and Georges Niang to fill out the roster, which could mean they weren\u2019t impressed by Simmons but could also mean Simmons preferred the opportunity in Sacramento to help restart his career.<\/p>\n
Simmons was the No. 1 pick in 2016, sitting out his first NBA season with an injury and sitting out another full season in 2021-22 with a holdout and an injury. The Brooklyn Nets dealt for Simmons in 2022 after James Harden demanded a trade, and Simmons suited up for 90 games in three seasons in Brooklyn, eventually getting a buyout and joining the Los Angeles Clippers. Presumably, he got a sponsorship deal with Boingo Wireless for his trouble.<\/p>\n
Having been dogged by health problems, specifically a chronically bad back, for years, Simmons stepped away from basketball last year. He bought a fishing team, the South Florida Sails, and spent time working and competing with the team. Leading into the summer, he was reportedly feeling much better and ramping up to return to the NBA.<\/p>\n
For years, Simmons has been hesitant to shoot because of his struggles at the foul line, and hesitant in general because his back and legs were in so much pain. If he can actually play regularly and avoid injury, he\u2019s still a 6-foot-10 point guard who can be a monster defensively, even if he\u2019s never going to shoot threes and might not shoot much at all.<\/p>\n
However, it\u2019s not the ideal place for Simmons to make a comeback, except he should be able to get plenty of minutes for the Kings. It\u2019s not great for Simmons that head coach Doug Christie seems to be teetering on the brink of getting fired, Domantas Sabonis wants to be traded, Zach LaVine is almost definitely getting traded, and Vivek Ranadive is the owner.<\/p>\n
In positive news, there\u2019s a really weird ziggurat in West Sac, there\u2019s two big rivers where he can fish, and the movie \u201cLady Bird\u201d is a cinema classic.<\/p>\n