Ben Simmons Injured, Latest Updates on Kings Star's Achilles and Status of NBA Comeback

Ben Simmons' NBA comeback has been halted before it could truly begin.

The Sacramento Kings announced on Sunday that Simmons suffered a torn right Achilles. He will undergo surgery that is expected to sideline him for the entirety of the 2026-27 season.

Simmons, 30, was having a strong preseason for the Kings after missing the entirety of the 2025-26 campaign, averaging 10.5 points, four rebounds and four assists in two games. He was expected to earn a starting position with the team ahead of Wednesday night's season-opener against the Los Angeles Clippers.

There was a lot of optimism regarding Simmons:

It's been a rough few years for Simmons from a basketball perspective.

Since forcing his way out of Philadelphia in the 2021-22 campaign, he's appeared in just 108 games over the last five years in brief stints with the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers. He didn't pick up with a team at all in the 2025-26 season and was away from the sport entirely, but certainly seemed excited about being back this season.

"When you have done something your whole life and so you're used to it, that is a big part of who I am," Simmons told Andscape's Marc J. Spears earlier in October. "I know what I am without it [basketball] now. But I also know it's a huge part of my life now. I'm just being grateful for being able to compete and play. And also knowing when this is done I have [another] part of my life, which is cool."

Unfortunetly, that comeback will now be put on hold for another year.