Ben Simmons tore his right Achilles tendon during a live drill at Sacramento Kings practice Sunday and will undergo surgery, the team announced after an MRI confirmed the injury.
The injury interrupts his return to the NBA before Sacramento's regular-season opener Wednesday at the Los Angeles Clippers. The Kings' medical update did not provide a surgery date or a return timetable. ESPN described it as likely to end his season.
Simmons, 30, had joined Sacramento in September after missing the previous season. The former No. 1 draft pick was trying to rebuild his career with a team that expected him to supply playmaking and versatility around its younger players.
There had been encouraging signs during the preseason. In two appearances for the Kings, Simmons averaged 10.5 points in 17.5 minutes, according to ESPN. The injury came during practice rather than one of those games, leaving Sacramento with another availability problem just before the schedule begins.
The Kings had planned for Simmons to back up rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr. and contribute at several positions, ESPN reported. Acuff was the seventh selection in the 2026 draft. Losing an experienced ball handler removes one of the options Sacramento had assembled to support him.
The arrangement followed an extended evaluation. ESPN reported that general manager Scott Perry watched Simmons work out in Miami and met with him in late August. Simmons later visited Sacramento, underwent a medical examination and worked out at the team's practice facility before joining the roster.
Simmons addressed the setback in a statement shared on social media. Reporter Marc Stein posted his response, including: "I've been knocked down before and I've always found a way to get back up."
That response followed several difficult stretches in a career that began with Philadelphia selecting him first overall in 2016. Simmons became the 2017-18 Rookie of the Year and earned three All-Star selections, along with All-NBA and All-Defensive recognition. Back and other physical problems have limited his availability in later seasons.
