The basketball world is officially in chaos mode. And honestly? We wouldn’t have it any other way. Ben Simmons is back in the NBA - not tiptoeing through the side door, but signing with the Sacramento Kings, of all teams. The reaction has been nothing short of volcanic.
Stephen A. Smith didn’t just criticize this move. He eviscerated it. The loudest voice in sports media went on an unhinged tirade that has fans scrambling for the replay button, questioning everything from Simmons’ heart to his commitment to the game itself. It’s the kind of drama only Ben Simmons can generate. And it’s exactly why we can’t stop watching.
But here’s the real question everyone is screaming: Can this actually work? The Kings are taking what CBS Sports calls an “upside swing” on a player who hasn’t sniffed All-Star form in years. Sacramento isn’t exactly the rehab capital of the NBA - they’re known for playoff droughts and heartbreak, not fixing broken stars. Yet here they are, rolling the dice on one of the most polarizing athletes in modern sports history.
This isn’t just a signing. It’s a full-blown redemption arc with the potential to go gloriously right or spectacularly wrong. And if you think we’re looking away, you’ve got another thing coming.
What Really Happened During the Year Away
Let’s address the fishing thing, because it’s impossible not to. Simmons didn’t just take a sabbatical - he reportedly dove headfirst into a fishing career, a move that had fans alternating between laughter and disbelief. For a guy making max money to play basketball, trading hardwood for a boat was a wild pivot. But it tells you everything about where his head was at. The New York Post summed it up perfectly: he left the sport entirely, and the NBA world collectively scratched its head.
The mental toll of his NBA journey has been well-documented. From the playoff meltdown in Philadelphia to the back issues in Brooklyn, Simmons has endured more psychological warfare than most players face in a lifetime. The boos. The memes. The endless speculation about his shooting - or lack thereof. Eventually, he stepped away completely. Three hundred sixty-five days of silence, recovery, and apparently some serious angling.
Now he’s back. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: The NBA hasn’t gotten softer. If anything, the league has gotten faster, more skilled, and less patient. Simmons can still defend at an elite level - that’s never been the question. The question is whether he can handle the pressure of being the center of attention again, especially after Stephen A. just put a massive spotlight on his every move.
📊 [1 full year away] - Simmons missed the entire 2025-26 season, his longest absence since entering the league, making this return a true wildcard.
The Kings clearly believe he can. They see a player who can guard multiple positions, push the pace, and create transition opportunities. They’re not asking him to be Ben Simmons of 2021 - they just need him to contribute without needing to be the man. That’s the plan, anyway. Whether the ego can handle that role is another story entirely.
The Stakes for Sacramento and Simmons’ Legacy
Here’s where things get spicy. For Sacramento, this move could either be genius or a disaster. The Kings have a young, exciting core, and adding a veteran playmaker like Simmons could elevate them from playoff hopefuls to legitimate threats in the Western Conference. That’s the upside, and it’s tantalizing.
| Season | Team | PPG | RPG | APG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | Brooklyn Nets | 6.1 | 5.0 | 4.5 |
| 2024-25 | Brooklyn Nets | 7.9 | 5.6 | 5.8 |
| 2025-26 | Out of NBA | - | - | - |
But the downside? He could disrupt chemistry, dominate the ball in all the wrong ways, and remind everyone why he’s been exiled from the league’s good graces. The Kings are betting that a change of scenery and a fresh start can unlock something we haven’t seen in years. It’s a calculated gamble, but with the Western Conference as stacked as it is, there’s no margin for error.
For Simmons himself, this is legacy territory. He’s still just 30 years old, with theoretically prime years ahead of him. But in NBA terms, he’s at a crossroads. Another failure here and he’s done - not just as a star, but as a rotation player. The whispers will turn into shouts, and the fishing jokes will never stop.
