Sacramento Kings guard Ben Simmons is expected to miss the entire 2026-27 NBA season after an MRI confirmed a torn right Achilles tendon. The Ben Simmons Achilles tear came during a live drill in team practice on Sunday, just days before the new campaign was due to tip off.
The Kings announced the devastating news on Sunday, October 18, confirming that Simmons will undergo surgery to repair the rupture. The 30-year-old Australian had only just signed with Sacramento on September 4, agreeing to a one-year, $3.5 million contract as he attempted one of the most closely watched comebacks in basketball.
FAKTA
- Player: Ben Simmons, guard, Sacramento Kings
- Injury: Torn right Achilles tendon, confirmed by MRI
- When: During a live drill in practice, Sunday, October 18, 2026
- Next step: Surgery; widely expected to miss the entire 2026-27 season
- Contract: One-year, $3.5 million deal signed September 4
- Career highlights: 2016 No. 1 overall draft pick, three-time All-Star, 2017-18 Rookie of the Year
Ben Simmons Achilles Tear: Season Over Before It Began
The timing could hardly have been crueler. Simmons tore the tendon during a routine live drill at the Kings’ practice facility, three days before Sacramento’s season opener. The team said in a statement that the MRI had revealed the tear and that further updates would be provided as appropriate.
Reacting to the blow, Simmons shared an emotional message on social media, writing that he had faced challenges before that tested him mentally, physically and emotionally, and had found a way through every one of them. “This injury is another chapter in my journey, not the end of my story,” he said, adding that adversity does not define a person — how they respond to it does.
A Long Road Back Ends in Heartbreak
Simmons’ comeback had been one of the feel-good stories of the NBA preseason. He had sat out the entire 2025-26 season to rehabilitate his body after chronic back problems and a series of leg injuries, and the buzz coming out of Sacramento’s training camp had been overwhelmingly positive.
The former Philadelphia 76ers star was moving well in preseason action, averaging 10.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in about 17.5 minutes across two appearances. Kings general manager Scott Perry and head coach Doug Christie had both spoken warmly of his workouts, and Simmons was expected to feature in the rotation on opening night.
It was not the first time injury had derailed his career. The 2016 No. 1 overall pick sat out his entire rookie season with a foot injury, missed the whole 2021-22 season amid mental-health struggles and trade requests, and was cut by the Brooklyn Nets in February 2025 before finishing the season with the Los Angeles Clippers.
What It Means for Sacramento
Sacramento had hoped the 6-foot-10 guard would bring depth at every position — most importantly at point guard, where rookie Darius Acuff Jr. is now set to carry the load from day one. The Kings open their season on the road, and their rotation is already thin, with further injuries leaving them short of bodies for the opening weeks.
For Simmons, the road back is now measured in months, not weeks: Achilles tears typically demand the better part of a year of rehabilitation. At 30, with a career already defined as much by setbacks as by stardom — Rookie of the Year, three All-Star selections, two All-Defensive first-team nods — he faces the toughest test yet.
“I’ve been knocked down before, and I’ve always found a way to get back up. This time will be no different,” Simmons said. Basketball will be watching to see if he is right.
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