Stephen A. Smith Roasts Ben Simmons After Former No. 1 Pick Agrees to Kings Deal

Ben Simmons is getting another chance in the NBA, but Stephen A. Smith isn’t exactly convinced that the former All-Star deserves a paycheck.

After spending the entire 2025-26 season away from the NBA, Ben Simmons is officially making his comeback. The Sacramento Kings have agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the former No. 1 overall pick, giving the 30-year-old another opportunity to revive his career.

But ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith had a very different reaction to the news.

‘Why Isn’t He Paying Sacramento?’

Appearing on First Take, Smith acknowledged just how talented Simmons once was. At 6-foot-10, Simmons had an unusual combination of size, ball-handling, passing and defensive ability.

But Smith then turned his attention to the biggest criticism surrounding Simmons’ career: his reluctance to shoot the basketball.

Smith joked that Simmons should actually be paying the Kings for the opportunity to play rather than receiving $3.5 million from the team.

He also referenced Simmons’ struggles with confidence and his reluctance to take shots, delivering one of his trademark brutally blunt assessments.

Smith’s comments were clearly intended as criticism and commentary, rather than an assessment of Simmons’ actual contract value.

From No. 1 Pick to NBA Comeback

Simmons entered the NBA with enormous expectations after Philadelphia selected him first overall in the 2016 NBA Draft.

He quickly demonstrated why he was considered a generational prospect. Simmons won Rookie of the Year, became a three-time All-Star, earned two All-Defensive selections and made an All-NBA team during his time with the Philadelphia 76ers.

His career, however, took a dramatic turn following Philadelphia’s 2021 playoff exit.

A combination of confidence issues, injuries and back problems eventually pushed him away from the player he had been early in his career.

He was traded from Philadelphia to Brooklyn in 2022 and later moved to the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2024-25 season.

Simmons Hasn’t Played Since 2025

Simmons’ most recent NBA action came during the 2024-25 season, when he appeared in 51 games between Brooklyn and the Clippers. He averaged 5.0 points, 5.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 22 minutes per game.

He subsequently missed the entire 2025-26 season.

Now, after working toward his return, Simmons has another opportunity in Sacramento.

Reports say he recently completed a medical examination and on-court workout with the Kings. He has also reportedly been practicing without physical limitations.

Can Sacramento Revive Simmons’ Career?

The Kings are taking a relatively low-risk gamble on a player who once looked like one of the NBA’s brightest young stars.

Simmons still brings qualities that are difficult to find in a 6-foot-10 player: passing, rebounding, defensive versatility and the ability to handle the ball.

The biggest question is whether he can remain healthy and regain enough confidence and aggression to make those skills useful at the NBA level.

For Simmons, the Kings represent more than another contract. They could be his opportunity to prove that the player who once averaged 13.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists over his career isn’t completely gone.

And for Stephen A. Smith, the comeback has already provided plenty of material.

Now Simmons gets the chance to answer his critics where it matters most—on the basketball court.