Sacramento's Ben Simmons has suffered a torn right Achilles and will soon undergo surgery to repair it, the Kings have announced. While no official timetable was given, he will undoubtedly miss the entire 2026-27 season.
This is a devastating blow for Simmons, who had been out of the league for a year getting his body right and his mind in a good place. For years, Simmons had been dealing with a back issue that limited him physically, caused him to miss a lot of games, and that shook his confidence.
Taking a year off seemed to have worked. All the buzz coming out of Sacramento had been overwhelmingly positive, and Simmons, 30, was expected to be a starter on opening night. While it's just the preseason, Simmons was moving well and playing a more attacking style, averaging 10.5 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists in 17.4 minutes per preseason game.
Two seasons ago, the former No. 1 pick played 51 games between the Nets and Clippers, averaging 5 points, 5.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game, while shooting 52%, all from inside the arc. He showed flashes of what he could be as a floor general and leader.
This injury also leaves the Kings and coach Doug Christie scrambling to fill a big hole in his rotation. Don't be surprised if Precious Achiuwa gets a lot of run with the starters, a group expected to include rookie Darius Acuff Jr., Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine and Keegan Murray.