Doug Christie’s push for authenticity and a renewed swagger convinced the former All-Star to rejuvenate his career in Sacramento, providing the veteran playmaking the Kings desperately need.
All the talk about Ben Simmons' return to the NBA boiled down to his role as a bench player, but Sacramento Kings coach Doug Christie wanted him to "be himself."
His godfather and former LSU coach, David Patrick, said that belief gave him "the fortitude to want to be there," as Simmons signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract on Thursday.
Patrick has seen his godson's journey back to the NBA over the past year. The 6-foot-10 forward sat out the 2025-26 season rehabbing from back injuries that derailed his tenure with the Brooklyn Nets, causing him to miss 58.3% of games from 2022-23 to 2024-25.
Before Brooklyn, the 2019 No. 1 pick became a three-time All-Star with the Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists across four seasons.
The athleticism, defense and playmaking were at their peak, making him one of the most exciting players to watch during that period. Simmons aimed to regain that confidence while rehabbing and recovering.
He did so successfully, and his godfather believes the three-time All-Star and one-time All-NBA talent is back.
“For me, over the last probably three months, that swagger, that confidence that he once had, was back,” Patrick told Matt George on Friday's episode of "The Matt and Kayla Show."
As he returns to the NBA with the Kings, they need the best version of Simmons they can get.
General manager Scott Perry searched for a veteran playmaker to mentor and back up rookie guard Darius Acuff. His options were limited, with only having the veteran's minimum available to sign free agents.
Sacramento worked out two journeymen in Elfrid Payton and Cam Payne. Payton and Payne fit what Perry sought, but ultimately paled in comparison to Simmons.
At 6-foot-10, he is a versatile playmaker, towering over smaller defenders, seeing the defense and how the team's plays develop. He can thread the needle in tight spaces and make complex reads that high-level playmakers do consistently.
The 30-year-old can grab-and-go, too, pushing the Kings into early fast-break offense after a rebound. Payton and Payne, as smaller guards, don't have that ability.
Simmons also brings versatility on the defensive end, possessing enough lateral quickness to guard the perimeter and the core strength to absorb contact against big men. Sacramento, which finished with the third-worst defensive rating last season at 121.5, desperately needed to raise its defensive floor.
The 10-year veteran was the perfect signing for the Kings at the veteran's minimum. A rejuvenated Simmons can elevate the team's offense and defense in a season where it must win games to avoid draft relegation.
