Ben Simmons' long-awaited return to the NBA is over before it even started. The Sacramento Kings confirmed that their highest-profile free-agent signing of the offseason tore his right Achilles tendon during practice, an injury that will sideline the 30-year-old Australian-American guard for the entire 2026-27 season and require surgery.
The team said an MRI confirmed the torn Achilles, according to The Sacramento Bee. ESPN's Shams Charania first reported the practice injury, posting on X that Simmons was believed to have torn his Achilles tendon. The timing could hardly have been crueler: the setback landed on the very day Australian network Fox Sports released Simmons' career documentary, Being Ben, which chronicled his physical rehabilitation and push for an NBA comeback, according to Fox Sports.
A Strong Finish Cut Short
Just two days before the injury, Simmons looked like a revelation. In his final preseason appearance for Sacramento on October 16 against the San Antonio Spurs, he recorded 14 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in only 17 minutes, Fox Sports reported. Simmons started ahead of DeAndre Hunter in the Kings' most recent preseason game. Simmons had not played in Sacramento's preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 5 at Golden 1 Center.
Simmons' Achilles tear is not an isolated case around the league this preseason. It marks the third season-ending Achilles rupture of the 2026 NBA preseason, following identical injuries to Oklahoma City Thunder guard Otega Oweh and Philadelphia 76ers center Ariel Hukporti, according to Hoops Rumors.
The Road Back That Led Nowhere Yet
Simmons' path to Sacramento was built on months of quiet preparation. Before signing with the Kings in September, he traveled to Melbourne over the summer to attend an Australian national team player-led minicamp — his first involvement with the Boomers program since 2013 — before holding private workouts in Miami for NBA executives, per CBS Sports. Kings general manager Scott Perry traveled to Miami himself to personally evaluate Simmons before the signing.
Sacramento signed Simmons to a one-year contract in early September, reportedly worth $3.5 million. The deal reportedly included $1 million guaranteed once he made the opening-night roster, limiting the Kings' financial exposure even as they bet on his comeback. Perry had been hired in April 2025 after six years running the New York Knicks' front office, and the Simmons signing was part of a broader roster overhaul that also brought in rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr., as Hoodline previously reported on the Kings' revamped roster.
A Career Defined By Injury and Interruption
Simmons' basketball résumé is studded with both promise and setback. Selected first overall in the 2016 NBA Draft, he won NBA Rookie of the Year and earned three All-Star selections during four seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers before three seasons with the Brooklyn Nets starting in 2022 and a brief 17-game stint with the Los Angeles Clippers late in the 2024-25 season. He went unsigned throughout the 2025-26 season.
Simmons' path from demanding a trade from Philadelphia in the 2021 offseason to his 2026 preseason debut with Sacramento was marked by back problems. Simmons has also dealt with chronic back problems and rehabilitation, according to the Associated Press.
Roster Fallout for Sacramento
The injury leaves the Kings thin just as the regular season arrives. Simmons' absence compounds existing frontcourt and guard injuries for Sacramento heading into the opener, including Maxime Raynaud, Dylan Cardwell and Malik Monk. Two-way player Jonathan Mogbo could get backup-center minutes.
Sacramento opens the 2026-27 season on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, then plays its first home game at Golden 1 Center on Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers — both now without the player the franchise had hoped would anchor its frontcourt. Simmons' comeback bid follows other recent milestones for the Kings, including the Granite Bay Golf Classic charity event that featured Kings players over the summer.
