'Fresh' Simmons to show Kings he's worth every cent

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The Sacramento Kings have taken a chance on signing Ben Simmons after a year away from the NBA, but Jason Cadee believes the gamble will be worth every cent.

And the NBL legend says you can already start to see a different Simmons.

The 30-year-old is on a USD $3.5 million non-guaranteed contract with the Kings with $1 million of it guaranteed if he makes the opening night roster - something most experts believe will happen.

If he makes the Sacramento roster and plays all 82 games, something that won't happen due to injury and the natural ups and downs of a long NBA season, Simmons will be earning more than USD $42,600 per game.

Speaking on the latest episode of the Cut to the Jase podcast, Cadee said a new mindset has the Aussie three-time NBA All-Star ready for a major comeback to the league.

"I thought he looked fresh (at Kings training camp), as in he looked, he looked excited, he looked like he was happy to be there, he looked in a good place," Cadee said on the basketball.com.au podcast.

"Like I just felt like I looked at Ben in that thing with cameras all around him and he just looked comfortable.

"Now my next hope for Ben Simmons and his life and who he is, I hope that that transfers onto the court for him and he can play healthy but I thought it was just great to see him show up to that really refreshed and ready to go."

Expectations for Simmons in his first season back have been varied but there's no doubting his ceiling.

Even ESPN expert and the host of The Hoop Collective podcast, Brian Windhorst, said "he's someone who could guard Victor Wembanyama" when on the Aussie Hoops Hour with ESPN Australia's Olgun Uluc.

"His skill is versatile defence," Windhorst said during his tour of Australia.

"If he wants to stick in the NBA, needs to come in, be healthy and defend. If he does that on a minimum, as a 6'10" guy... he can still guard two, three, four and five.

"This is going to sound kind of crazy to say this but he's the type of player who could defend Victor Wembanyama. Because he's strong... Ben has enormously long arms, he in theory, could guard almost anybody on the court."

We all know the former Philadelphia 76ers point guard's defensive ability when he's at his best, having made two NBA All-Defensive First Teams, with his ability to guard all positions on the court at 6'10" one of his biggest strengths.

And it's something Doug Christie's Sacramento team desperately needs after finishing 28th in defensive rating for the 2025-26 season.

Cut to the Jase co-host Brayden Heslehurst said his prediction for the NBA season was for Simmons to exceed expectations and earn a contract above $10 million for the following season.

"Yeah that's probably more what I think," Cadee said.

"I don't know (about expectations yet), when you asked me my outlandish call I was going to say Ben Simmons is an All-Star but that (might be out of reach) let's be honest."

Simmons and the Kings take on the LA Lakers in their pre-season opener tomorrow at 1pm AEDT.