Three days before the Sacramento Kings‘ season opener, and on the same day ESPN premiered a documentary built around his comeback, Ben Simmons‘ 2026–27 season is already over. The 30-year-old Australian guard-forward tore his right Achilles tendon during a live drill at Sunday’s practice, and surgery is confirmed. The NBA didn’t even tip off before resetting his timeline back to zero.
Sacramento Kings guard Ben Simmons tore his right Achilles tendon during a live practice drill on Sunday, October 18, 2026. An MRI confirmed the injury, and the Kings announced Simmons will undergo surgery and miss the entire 2026–27 NBA season. The timing is brutal: the Kings open against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, October 21. Simmons had signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract with Sacramento, announced in September 2026—after sitting out all of 2025–26 following a February 2025 Brooklyn Nets buyout and a brief Los Angeles Clippers stint—and underwent medical evaluations and met with general manager Scott Perry and head coach Doug Christie. He had looked sharp in preseason action. Simmons posted on Instagram after the injury: “This injury is another chapter in my journey, not the end of my story.”
If you are finalizing a fantasy basketball lineup or sizing up Sacramento’s rotation before Wednesday’s season opener against the Clippers, Simmons is off the board for 2026–27. His torn Achilles wipes out coach Doug Christie’s primary 6-foot-10 point-forward option, shifting heavier ball-handling and defensive minutes to rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr., Precious Achiuwa, and veterans Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, and Domantas Sabonis.
The Kings confirmed the torn right Achilles came during a Sunday live-action drill—the type of noncontact snap that often ends with the longest recoveries in the sport. For Simmons, the path back from a torn Achilles typically runs nine to 12 months according to general medical estimates for Achilles repairs—and his current one-year deal will have already expired before he can return. Six-time All-Star Blake Griffin, speaking at the NBA on Prime launch in New York shortly before the news broke, had praised Simmons’ camp form: “He is incredibly talented, he’s a big body and he can defend so many positions. Downhill he gets to the rim and he’s a great passer.” Simmons’ Instagram post added: “If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that adversity doesn’t define you. How you respond to it does.”
In Sacramento’s Pacific Division, the injury adds to an already-thin opening-night picture. For Golden State Warriors fans tracking their own star, see our Steph Curry ankle update ahead of Wednesday’s Lakers opener.
On the same day that Simmons’ Achilles gave out, ESPN premiered Being Ben—an E60/Andscape documentary chronicling his healthy resurrection after back surgeries over recent years and a missed 2025–26 season. In the film, Simmons called Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey one of the franchise’s “snakes.” His comeback lasted the length of a television documentary before resetting to zero.
What injury did Ben Simmons suffer in Sacramento Kings practice?
Sacramento Kings guard Ben Simmons tore his right Achilles tendon during a live practice drill on Sunday, October 18, 2026, three days before the 2026–27 NBA season opener. An MRI confirmed the tear, and the 30-year-old Melbourne-born guard will undergo surgery, ending his season before it began.
Sacramento’s roster options, including potentially a Disabled Player Exception, were not announced as of Monday morning. Updates will be published as the team’s decision comes in.
