Ben

Simmons

Simmons’ 2026-27 season reportedly ended in devastating fashion days before his official return to the NBA. The 6-foot-10 guard/forward signed with the Kings with the expectation that he would back up rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr. However, Simmons showed enough during the preseason to earn a starting spot alongside Acuff. Sunday’s injury changes that, obviously, with Precious Achiuwa and De’Andre Hunter being potential replacements in the starting five. As for the point guard rotation, Malik Monk will be asked to take on more playmaking responsibilities off the bench.

After sitting out the entire 2025-26 season, Simmons started and played nine minutes in his unofficial debut for the Kings on Saturday against the Warriors. At the time of his signing, reports said the veteran guard/forward was expected to back up rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr., but the Kings appear to have a different plan. Simmons, whose minutes will be increased in Sacramento’s final two preseason games, is expected to remain a starter. That likely pushes Precious Achiuwa to the bench, with Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, and Domantas Sabonis rounding out the starting five. Despite Monday’s report, fantasy managers should still wait until the later rounds of drafts to select Simmons.

Saturday’s exhibition was Simmons’ first game action since Game 5 of the Clippers’ first-round series against the Nuggets in 2025. He started against the Warriors, played nine minutes in the first quarter, then was shut down for the night. Simmons can be a viable option in 12-team leagues, but fantasy managers should temper their expectations early on. He started against the Warriors, but that was because Domantas Sabonis didn’t play. Once the games count, Simmons is likely to come off the bench.

After sitting out the entire 2025-26 season, Simmons agreed to a one-year deal with the Kings in early September. The hope is that he can handle the backup playmaker responsibilities as rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr. gets acclimated to the NBA. Simmons doesn’t offer much as a scorer, but if he’s healthy, he could be a waiver-wire pickup worth considering in deep leagues.

Spears notes that Simmons has had a strong training camp, but the Kings organization wants him to ramp up cautiously. Currently going outside the Top 200 in fantasy drafts, Simmons is an upside, late-round selection.

The first overall pick in the 2016 draft, Simmons is back in the NBA after sitting out the entire 2025-26 season. In his most recent action, the 6-foot-10 point forward appeared in 51 games during the 2024-25 season for the Nets and Clippers. In those appearances, Simmons averaged 5.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 22.0 minutes per game. While he’s had his moments as an effective fantasy option in the past, despite his limited scoring ability, fantasy managers should not expect too much from Simmons in Sacramento. However, keep an eye on him during the preseason to see if Simmons can earn a consistent role.

After splitting the 2024-25 season between the Nets and Clippers, Simmons did not play in the NBA in 2025-26. In fact, he did not play anywhere, with the time off allowing the former first overall pick to recover from back issues that helped torpedo what appeared to be a promising career. Simmons will not be under any restrictions at the player-led minicamp, and he reportedly hopes to represent Australia in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Regarding his NBA outlook, multiple teams have expressed interest in Simmons, according to Spears. He is said to be open to signing for the veteran’s minimum, which is likely the most that he would be able to sign for given the time missed.

An unrestricted free agent after finishing last season with the Clippers, Simmons has been connected with multiple teams this offseason, including the Celtics and Knicks. However, he reportedly turned down a one-year offer from New York. The Knicks are limited in what they can offer a veteran due to the salary cap, which may have factored into Simmons’ decision to pass. New York can realistically only offer the league minimum to avoid the second apron. Simmons can be impactful as a defender and playmaker, but his limited scoring ability can be problematic if he isn’t the only non-shooter on the floor.

While Simmons’ career has not panned out the way many expected it to, his playmaking and defensive abilities mean there is interest in the free agent forward. In his report, Windhorst mentioned the Kings, Suns, Knicks and Celtics as teams linked with Simmons. The potential impact on fantasy basketball will depend on the location and Simmons’ health, which has been problematic for most of his NBA career. He played in 51 games last season between the Nets and Clippers, averaging 5.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 0.7 steals in 22.0 minutes.

Simmons will return to the Clippers’ rotation after sitting out Wednesday’s win over the Rockets. His best path to fantasy relevance would be for starting center Ivica Zubac (ankle) not to play. The Clippers listed Zubac as questionable in the initial injury report.