The key facts

  • Ben Simmons tore his right Achilles tendon at Sacramento practice and will require surgery.
  • Simmons signed a one-year contract with the Kings in September after missing last season due to back injuries.
  • Over eight NBA seasons he averaged 13.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game.

Practice injury

Ben Simmons' NBA return has hit a serious setback: the Sacramento Kings announced that the former first overall draft pick tore his right Achilles tendon. According to the club, Simmons suffered the injury during a live drill at Sunday's practice, an MRI revealed a tear, and the player will undergo surgery. The club promised to provide further updates as necessary.

Simmons' NBA path

The 30-year-old point guard missed last season due to chronic back injuries, but in September agreed to a one-year contract with the Kings. Simmons was selected first overall in the 2016 NBA draft by Philadelphia, but missed the 2016/17 season due to a fracture of his right foot. In 2018 he won the Rookie of the Year award, however his stint in Philadelphia, complicated by injuries, ended in 2022 amid a scandal: he sat out the 2021/22 season, after which he was traded to Brooklyn, where he played poorly and was waived in 2025. He last appeared in an NBA game in early 2025 with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Statistics and context

Over eight NBA seasons, Simmons averaged 13.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game, posting his best numbers with Philadelphia. In August, interest in him from clubs grew after a successful training camp with the Australian national team. The Kings went 22 wins and 60 losses last season; since 2006 the team has made the playoffs only once, losing in the first round in 2023 to Golden State.