Ben Simmons' comeback has taken an unfortunate turn for the worse.
The Sacramento Kings guard suffered a torn right Achilles during an Oct. 18 practice that will sideline him for the entire 2026-27 season, ESPN's Shams Charania posted on social media.
An MRI confirmed a season-ending torn right Achilles tendon for Ben Simmons. A devastating turn of events on the eve of his NBA return after rehabilitating from back surgeries. https://t.co/fPjYPD0Kqa
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 18, 2026
Simmons missed all of the 2025-26 season as back issues continued to haunt him, but he has performed well in preseason for the Kings.
Sacramento opens the regular season Oct. 21 on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers, the last team Simmons played for during the 2024-25 season.
A three-time All-Star, Simmons was once viewed as one of the league's best players, drawing comparisons to LeBron James for having size at 6-10, athletic ability and court vision, but injuries greatly derailed his career.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Ben Simmons' comeback takes unfortunate turn for the worse