Ben Simmons Tears Achilles in Practice, Ending Kings Comeback Before It Began

Ben Simmons’ long-awaited NBA comeback has ended before it officially began. The Sacramento Kings announced Sunday that Simmons suffered a torn right Achilles tendon during practice, an injury an MRI confirmed and one that is expected to wipe out his entire 2026-27 season just three days before the team opens its schedule.

The news landed with a thud across the league. Simmons, a 30-year-old former No. 1 overall pick and three-time All-Star, had spent the entire previous season away from basketball to recover physically and mentally, signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract with Sacramento in early September, and by every account had looked rejuvenated through camp and the preseason. ESPN’s Shams Charania was first to report the suspected tear before the Kings confirmed it in a team release.

How the Injury Happened

According to the Kings, Simmons went down during a live drill at Sunday’s practice. The team said an MRI confirmed a torn right Achilles tendon and that he will undergo surgery, with further updates to come as appropriate. A team source told The Athletic that Simmons is expected to miss the full season. No specific recovery timetable has been released, though Achilles tears typically carry a lengthy rehabilitation window.

The timing makes it especially cruel. Sacramento opens the regular season Wednesday night on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers, the same franchise Simmons finished his last NBA stint with. Simmons had been expected to open the year in the starting five alongside rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr., with Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray and Zach LaVine rounding out a projected lineup that suddenly needs a new look.

A Comeback Built on Momentum

The preseason had been a genuine feel-good story. The Kings brought Simmons along slowly, holding him out of early exhibitions before he made his debut against the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 10, starting and logging nine minutes while scoring seven points. He sat out one game for rest, then closed the preseason Friday with 14 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and a steal in 26 minutes of a 126-97 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, going 5-of-9 from the field and 4-of-4 at the line. He scored 12 of those points in the third quarter and finished just shy of a triple-double.

Across two preseason appearances, he averaged 10.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists. Just days earlier, Simmons had pushed back on critics who questioned his love of the game, and veterans such as Blake Griffin and Dirk Nowitzki publicly backed him to produce some of his best basketball if his health held. He had even said he hoped to play all 82 games this season, a goal that now vanishes.

A Career Derailed by Injuries

Selected first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2016 draft, Simmons was a rare 6-foot-10 point forward whose passing and defensive versatility made him a three-time All-Star. Over 383 regular-season games with the 76ers, Nets and Clippers, he averaged 13.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game. But back problems, a high-profile standoff with Philadelphia and a blockbuster trade to Brooklyn for James Harden left his prime marked by missed time. He appeared in 51 games across the 2024-25 season, split between the Nets and Clippers after Brooklyn agreed to a buyout, then sat out all of last season.

Simmons has also said he hoped to represent Australia at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and this latest setback casts real doubt on that timeline and on what comes next for a player who is now 30 and facing yet another long recovery.

What It Means for Sacramento

For the Kings, the loss strips away one of the more intriguing wrinkles of a rebuilding roster and forces coach Doug Christie to rethink his frontcourt and playmaking rotation before the opener. Acuff, the rookie guard, will likely shoulder even more responsibility as the primary ball handler. Fans tracking how the injury shifts Sacramento’s outlook can follow the latest sportsbooks markets as win totals and futures adjust, and for those in the Golden State, the guide to sportsbooks in California is a useful starting point for understanding what is and is not legal.

The Kings are expected to provide more information as Simmons moves toward surgery. For now, the story that had the NBA world rooting for a comeback has turned into another painful chapter for one of the league’s most scrutinized talents.