A brutal way to finish off the preseason for a seemingly revitalized Ben Simmons. After five years of being an afterthought in the NBA, Simmons was on the comeback trail and looking close to his old self in training camp with the Sacramento Kings. But a devastating injury has put an end to his comeback season before it begins.
The Kings say an MRI has confirmed a torn right Achilles for Ben Simmons: https://t.co/b6cgg8tj0npic.twitter.com/BzDhKPag4e
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) October 18, 2026
An MRI has confirmed that Simmons has suffered a torn Achilles. The incident occured in practice on Sunday. The Kings are set to tip off their season on Wednesday night. Simmons was supposed to be a big part of their hopes for 2026-27. Unfortunately, he’ll now be out at least until next season.
The 30-year-old former No. 1 overall pick had a falling out in Philadelphia after the 2020-21 season. He was a three-time All-Star. But he sat out the following year, eventually forcing a trade to the Brooklyn Nets. However, he was in and out of lineups over the next three seasons, due to injuries and a general disinterest in playing basketball.
He took the year off last season to join the Sport Fishing Championship league, in what is undoubtedly a first for a former NBA player. But he came into the summer determined to get back to the Association. Simmons was in excellent shape and won himself a contract with the Kings. He is said to have had a very good camp and was ready to try to get back to being an impact, if not star, player in the league.
Sunday’s torn Achilles puts an end to all of that.
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