A Ben Simmons All-Star Season Would Shift Everything For Kings

All offseason, the story for the Sacramento Kings has been the seventh overall pick in the draft. Not even Darius Acuff Jr. himself, who the Kings selected with the pick, but the broad sense that Sacramento had to find their next franchise player in this year's draft.

The hope is still that Acuff will become said star, but the recent acquisition of Ben Simmons brings up a hypothetical that the Kings should at least be considering in the back of their minds. There are little to no expectations for Sacramento this season, but if everything breaks right, they have the chance to surprise everyone. And a major factor would be if Simmons returns to All-Star form.

I've already written about the unlikely possibility of Simmons regaining his All-Star status, but I haven't thought about how it would affect the franchise as a whole.

Building Around Acuff

Mar 21, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff Jr. (5) shoots against High Point Panthers forward Cam'ron Fletcher (11) in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The whole goal of the season should continue to be to build around Acuff, but the sense of how quickly that timeline is going to go is still up in the air. The Kings should continue to patiently build around their 19-year-old star, but they also have multiple veterans who could either help the Kings more than people think, or bring back assets in future deals if they can reclaim some trade value heading into the trade deadline.

Up until now, it's felt like picks and young prospects would be the best return for either Domantas Sabonis or Zach LaVine, but what if the Kings brought back another veteran that fit their current roster better?

In a sense, it's still building around Acuff, as the fit would hopefully be perfect this time around now that the Kings know who they are building around. It just wouldn't be on the early timeline that most 19-year-old rookies get built around.

Older Young Core

Feb 23, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) shoots as Memphis Grizzlies forward GG Jackson (45) defends during the first quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Kings timeline has always been ambiguous. Keegan Murray is already 26, Nique Clifford is 24, Maxime Raynaud is 23, and even Acuff's fellow rookies in Alex Karaban and Emanuel Sharp are already 23 and 22.

That's not a knock on any of them, but from an age perspective, the Kings have a roster that is built to compete now, even when taking out Sabonis and LaVine. Even the role players in Precious Achiuwa, De'Andre Hunter, and Malik Monk are all proven veterans at this point in their careers.

Would Simmons Accelerate the Timeline?

Apr 11, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Ben Simmons (25) during the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There is a world out there where it makes sense for the Kings to make an 'all-in' move this season. Everything would have to lineup perfectly, but it's possible.

Acuff would have to be at least as good as expected, or likely better. Simmons would have to shock the NBA world and reclaim his All-Star status, and all the young(ish) players would have to take leaps or, in the case of Karaban and Sharp, show that they can contribute immediately.

Is it likely? Definitely not. The Kings aren't getting 19 projected wins for no reason. But for a late offseason, quiet time thought, it's at least one worth having.

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