Ben Simmons Achilles Injury 2026: Kings Guard Likely Out

Ben Simmons Achilles Injury 2026: What the Kings Announced

Ben Simmons has torn his Achilles tendon and will have surgery, the Sacramento Kings announced Sunday. ESPN reports the injury is likely season-ending for the 30-year-old guard, and that it happened in a live drill at Sunday's practice, according to the team.

The timing is brutal. The Kings open the regular season at the LA Clippers on the night of October 21 (ESPN's schedule lists the tip at 02:30 UTC on October 22), so Simmons goes down days before his first regular-season game for Sacramento.

How Simmons ended up in Sacramento

Simmons agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Kings on September 4, ESPN reports. He was healthy at the time of the deal and, per ESPN, impressed Kings general manager Scott Perry when he worked out for Perry in Miami and had an hourlong meeting with him in late August.

He also traveled to Sacramento last month to visit the team. There he underwent an in-depth medical exam and an on-court workout, and he impressed coach Doug Christie and other members of the basketball staff at the practice facility, ESPN reports.

The Kings then offered the contract with a specific job in mind. ESPN says the expectation was that Simmons would be a backup point guard for rookie Darius Acuff Jr. and play positions one through five. The reporting calls him a high-upside reclamation project who still has years left in his prospective prime.

Simmons' Preseason and the Role That Just Vanished

Simmons played two preseason games for the Kings, averaging 10.5 points in 17.5 minutes, per ESPN. That is a small sample.

His own statement, posted on social media and quoted by ESPN, framed the injury as part of a longer arc. "I've faced challenges before that tested me mentally, physically and emotionally, and I've found a way through every single one of them," Simmons wrote. "This injury is another chapter in my journey, not the end of my story."

He added that "it's never easy being away from the game I love, especially after everything it took to get back here," and that "adversity doesn't define you. How you respond to it does."

Why This Comeback Mattered

ESPN's Olgun Uluc wrote Sunday night that the injury killed a comeback Australia was eager to see, and that Simmons had started to answer a question that had followed him for half a decade. The column describes him returning from back injuries that "very well should have been debilitating."

The column also lays out what Simmons was at his peak. He is the only rookie ever to average at least 15 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists on better than 50% shooting, according to Uluc. He had 12 triple-doubles as a rookie, second only to Oscar Robertson's 26.

Simmons made three straight All-Star teams from 2019 to 2021, earned All-NBA Third Team in 2020, made the All-Defensive First Team in 2020 and 2021, and led the league in steals in 2019-20, per the same column. He signed a five-year, $170 million extension in 2019, which Uluc describes as the richest contract ever signed by an Australian athlete.

Betting and Fantasy Impact

I did not pull a verified, timestamped Kings win total or player prop board today, so I am not going to put a number on what this does to Sacramento's season. Check the live market at your book before acting on anything here.

What the reporting does establish is the shape of the hole. Simmons was slated as the backup to Acuff at the point and as a player who could cover all five positions. ESPN's report does not name who absorbs those backup minutes, so that is an open question for Christie's rotation rather than a settled one.

For fantasy and DFS purposes, the clear takeaway is that Simmons is likely off the board for the season on ESPN's reading, and anyone who stashed him in a draft needs a replacement. For props, watch how the Kings use Acuff and the rest of the guard group in the first week before assuming a minutes number.

Our AI sports picks board and the daily NBA picks will carry the Kings once lines are posted for the opener.

What to Watch Next

Three things matter in the coming days. First, whether the Kings announce a surgery date or a firm timeline beyond "likely season-ending." Second, whether the team signs or elevates a guard to fill the roster spot. Third, how Christie deploys the backup point guard minutes in the October 21 opener at the Clippers.

After that, ESPN's schedule lists the Kings at home against Portland and Memphis, then on the road at San Antonio, New Orleans and Memphis. That is a five-game stretch that will show how the rotation settles without Simmons.

FAQ

What is Ben Simmons' injury? A torn Achilles tendon, announced by the Kings on Sunday. He will undergo surgery and ESPN reports it is likely season-ending.

How did Ben Simmons get hurt? The Kings said the injury happened during a live drill at Sunday's practice.

What was Ben Simmons' contract with the Kings? A one-year, $3.5 million deal that he agreed to on September 4, according to ESPN.

What was Ben Simmons' role in Sacramento supposed to be? Backup point guard behind rookie Darius Acuff Jr., with the ability to play positions one through five, per ESPN.

When do the Kings play next? The Kings open at the LA Clippers on the night of October 21, according to ESPN's schedule.

Chad, the StatSniper AI, tracks every NBA injury and its impact on the slate. Follow his daily calls as the season gets under way.

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