Ben Simmons’ return attempt with Sacramento is over before the Kings reach opening night. The veteran guard-forward tore his right Achilles tendon during a live practice drill Sunday and will undergo surgery, removing him from the club’s plans three days before Wednesday’s road opener against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Simmons had joined the Kings on a one-year veteran-minimum contract in September, looking for a clean restart after spending last season away from the floor while rehabbing back and leg issues. He had already appeared in two preseason games for Sacramento, posting 10.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per night as the Kings worked through their early rotation.
The injury interrupts another difficult chapter for the 30-year-old Australian, once one of the league’s most versatile young players. Simmons entered the NBA as Philadelphia’s No. 1 overall selection in 2016 following one season at LSU. A foot injury delayed his debut, but he quickly became a central piece for the 76ers, winning Rookie of the Year in 2017-18 and making three straight All-Star teams.
His peak also included third-team All-NBA honors in 2019-20 and first-team All-Defense recognition in both 2019-20 and 2020-21. Since then, however, availability and production have both fallen away. Simmons did not play in 2021-22 while managing mental-health concerns, physical ailments and a trade request out of Philadelphia.
Philadelphia moved him to Brooklyn at the 2022 trade deadline, but a back problem kept him out for the balance of that season. He spent the next two and a half years with the Nets before being released in February 2025, then finished the 2024-25 campaign in a reserve role with the Clippers. Over his time with Brooklyn and Los Angeles, he averaged 5.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists.
Simmons also played 51 games in his most recent NBA season, splitting that campaign between the Nets and 76ers, before stepping away for rehabilitation. Sacramento had brought him in hoping his size, passing and defensive flexibility could add another option to a roster beginning a rebuild after a 22-60 season.
The Kings’ longer view is centered on rookie Darius Acuff Jr., the No. 7 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft after his standout freshman year at Arkansas. Simmons was supposed to be a low-risk veteran reclamation piece around that developing group. Instead, Sacramento will open the season in Los Angeles with another roster vacancy and without a player whose comeback lasted only two preseason appearances.
