The Sacramento Kings announced that guard Ben Simmons suffered a torn right Achilles tendon in practice on Sunday. Consequently, he will likely miss the complete 2026-27 campaign, although Sacramento refrained from establishing a specific timetable for his return. Having agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract with Sacramento last month, Simmons was working toward an NBA comeback following a 2025-26 season spent on the sidelines recovering from ongoing leg and back issues.
Following his start in Sacramento’s latest preseason game versus the San Antonio Spurs, Simmons was projected to be in the starting unit for Wednesday’s season opener against the Los Angeles Clippers. Over two exhibition appearances, Simmons recorded averages of 10.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists.
The three-time NBA All-Star had earned a spot in Sacramento’s starting group alongside Darius Acuff Jr., Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, and Domantas Sabonis, taking the starting job over DeAndre Hunter, whom the team traded for during the previous season’s trade deadline.
Before finalizing his deal with Sacramento a few weeks prior to training camp, Simmons publicly discussed his desire to launch an NBA comeback throughout the offseason. He even journeyed to Melbourne earlier in the summer to join an athlete-driven minicamp with the Australian national team, marking his first participation with Australia since his teenage years in 2013.
Simmons last saw action in the NBA in the 2024-25 season, making 51 appearances split between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Brooklyn Nets. In that campaign, he posted per-game averages of 5.0 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.7 rebounds.
Prior to agreeing to terms with Sacramento, Simmons attracted interest from both the Golden State Warriors and the New York Knicks, according to The Athletic.
