Ben Simmons gets another NBA chance with Kings after leaving sport for fishing career

Ben Simmons is off the boat and back on the court.

The divisive guard signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Kings on Friday morning, ESPN reported.

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Simmons stepped away from the NBA last season and purchased a controlling share in the South Florida Sails Angling Club, which is a part of the Sport Fishing Championship.

Simmons, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, flamed out with the 76ers and Nets while dealing with a number of injuries and mental hurdles.

The 30-year-old played played 18 games with the Clippers at the end of the 2024-’25 season, averaging three points, four rebounds and three assists per game in a limited bench role.

Simmons now adds a veteran presence to a rebuilding Kings team that went 22-60 last season and drafted Darius Acuff Jr. out of Arkansas with the No. 7 pick in the draft.

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It will be interesting to see if a year away from the sport will help Simmons the shooting issues that plagued him in his career — often seeming unwilling to shoot anything beyond a layup.

He certainly seemed to enjoy his time fishihing.

“It’s a very niche sport,” he told Andscape. “And if you don’t know, you don’t know. But once you experience it and get out there and see what it’s about, you’re kind of in awe of what the sport is. And that’s just something I’ve always been interested in in terms of the sport of fishing.

“The technique. And there’s so much to it that people just don’t understand. These guys are fishing on million-dollar vessels, and they’re out for days at a time. So, it’s tedious and gritty, but a lot of fun. It’s one of those worlds where you just got to kind of experience it, get into it and see what it’s about.”

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