Ben Simmons to undergo surgery after tearing Achilles at Kings practice

Ben Simmons has torn his right Achilles tendon at Sacramento Kings practice and will require surgery, according to Associated Press reporting carried by NBA.com. The injury occurred during a live drill on Sunday, three days before Sacramento's scheduled season opener away to the Los Angeles Clippers. It halts his comeback before a regular-season appearance for the Kings.

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The Australian guard, 30, had spent the entire 2025-26 season recovering from back and leg injuries. NBL.com.au reported that he joined Sacramento in September on a one-year contract worth US$3.5 million. His return was set to end an absence from NBA regular-season competition stretching back to April 2025, but surgery now comes first.

There had been encouraging signs in his preparations. According to NBL.com.au, Simmons recorded 14 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in 26 minutes against San Antonio during the preseason. That performance provided evidence of his involvement as a scorer, rebounder and distributor before Sunday's injury interrupted the build-up to his Sacramento debut in the regular season.

Simmons responded with a message of determination rather than a farewell. In an Instagram statement reproduced by NBL.com.au, he described the injury as another challenge in his career and said he intended to recover. He acknowledged how difficult it was to be separated from basketball after working to return, while expressing confidence that he could overcome another setback.

His earlier NBA career brought substantial individual recognition. Philadelphia selected Simmons first overall in 2016 after one college season at LSU. He won the 2017-18 Rookie of the Year award, earned All-Star selections in each of the next three seasons and twice made the All-Defensive first team, the AP reported.

More recently, availability has shaped his career. Simmons missed the 2021-22 season and moved to Brooklyn at the 2022 trade deadline. After his Nets spell ended in February 2025, he finished that campaign with the Clippers. Sacramento, meanwhile, enters the new season after a 22-60 record, rebuilding around seventh overall draft pick Darius Acuff Jr., according to the AP.