Ben Simmons Returns to NBA: Draymond Green's Take on Sacramento's Gamble

Draymond Green has seen enough broken bodies and broken careers to know how rare this is.

Ben Simmons is back in the NBA. And Green is genuinely thrilled about it.

The former three-time All-Star, who spent last season out of the league and rehabbing his back, has earned a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Sacramento Kings after a summer spent grinding through private workouts. The Kings watched closely, liked what they saw, and decided the risk was worth it.

For Green, this isn’t just another signing. It’s a second chance he believes the league should welcome.

On the latest episode of "The Draymond Green Show," the Golden State Warriors forward made his feelings clear about seeing the 6-foot-10 playmaker back on an NBA roster.

"Number one, I'm happy to see Ben Simmons back in the NBA," Green said. "Simmons is a talent that — it doesn't grow on trees and we also don't get the opportunity to see in the NBA everyday."

That talent has been largely stuck in neutral for three years. Simmons didn’t play a single game last season as he worked to let his back finally heal, a lingering issue that has followed him since his time with the Philadelphia 76ers. He also sat out the entire 2021-22 campaign because of similar problems.

To Green, those injuries are the real story behind Simmons’ slide from All-Star to afterthought.

He pointed to the physical toll first, but he didn’t stop there. Back issues, Green noted, don’t just rob you of lift and lateral quickness; they chip away at your confidence and your joy. They drag at a player’s mental health, and Simmons has felt that weight.

"The injuries aren't always nice and to see him get another opportunity, to see him excited," Green said. "I actually had a conversation with Ben Simmons to see him excited to play basketball."

That word — excited — matters. It’s what Sacramento is betting on: that a healthy, motivated Simmons can still bend a game with his size, vision, and defense, even if he never returns to his peak form in Philadelphia.

And in Green’s eyes, the Kings’ gamble carries value beyond Simmons himself.

Why Sacramento’s Bet on Simmons Is Really About Darius Acuff Jr.

Sacramento may not be handing Simmons the locker-room megaphone as a classic veteran leader, but Green sees another layer to the move. He believes the signing could quietly shape the future of the franchise’s No. 7 pick, Darius Acuff Jr.

"When I look at this signing, I think this is great for Darius Acuff," Green said. "You have a Ben Simmons who's eager to make it right, he's going to give you the game. And he's going to work his ass off. I think this is great for Darius Acuff. Let's face it, Ben Simmons is Ben Simmons."

There’s an edge in that last line. Green knows the discourse that has followed Simmons — the criticism, the memes, the scrutiny. That spotlight isn’t going away in Sacramento. But he thinks that’s exactly why the move helps Acuff.

The rookie arrives as a top-10 pick, a young guard expected to grow into a central piece. Under normal circumstances, the noise would swarm him early. Every mistake. Every missed shot. Every learning curve moment.

With Simmons in the building, a lot of that noise shifts.

Green pointed out that the attention — and the pressure — will naturally gravitate toward the Australian star. The cameras, the questions, the nightly judgments. Simmons has lived with that for years. Acuff hasn’t. Now he won’t have to, at least not at full blast.

That buffer, Green believes, gives the rookie room to breathe, to study, to absorb. And if Simmons is as locked in as his summer suggests, Acuff gets more than just cover. He gets a 6-foot-10 guard who sees the floor like a point, defends multiple positions, and has navigated both the highs of All-NBA status and the lows of injury exile.

A veteran who is "eager to make it right," as Green put it, can be a powerful example for a teenager trying to find his way.

Sacramento has taken a chance on a player many had quietly written off. Simmons has taken a chance on his own body holding up. Acuff steps into a situation where one of the most scrutinized careers of the past decade might actually clear his path instead of crowding it.

Now the question is simple and unforgiving: what does Ben Simmons do with the ball back in his hands?