Sacramento Kings guard Ben Simmons will miss the entire 2026-27 NBA season after tearing his Achilles in practice on Oct. 18, a devastating injury that has cast a shadow over the start of the Kings’ campaign. The news, reported by the New York Post, ends Simmons’ season before it began and represents another cruel setback in a career that has been repeatedly interrupted by injury.
Teammate Keegan Murray captured the mood in the Kings locker room, calling the moment ‘probably the worst thing I’ve seen on the basketball court.’ For a young team with ambitions of climbing the Western Conference standings, losing a key rotation piece in such fashion, on the eve of the season, is a blow that goes beyond the box score.
A season over before it started
Achilles tears are among the most feared injuries in basketball, carrying long rehabilitation timelines and uncertain outcomes even for the most dedicated athletes. That Simmons suffered the injury in practice, in a routine setting far from the intensity of a game, only adds to the sense of misfortune. One moment he was preparing for a new season; the next, his year was over.
The timing could hardly be worse. Training camp is when rotations are set, chemistry is built and optimism is at its highest. For the Kings, Simmons was expected to play a meaningful role with his size, playmaking and defensive versatility. Now Sacramento must reconfigure its plans without him, redistributing minutes and responsibilities across a roster that suddenly looks thinner.
The Kings’ medical and coaching staffs will now focus on supporting Simmons through the long road back. Achilles rehabilitation is measured in months, not weeks, and the priority for the organisation will be his long-term health rather than any rushed timeline. At this stage of his career, getting the recovery right matters more than anything else.
Another cruel chapter for Simmons
For Simmons, the injury is the latest in a series of physical setbacks that have defined the latter part of his career. Once one of the most electrifying young talents in the league, a former No. 1 overall pick and multiple-time All-Star, Simmons has spent recent seasons battling to rediscover his best form and stay on the court.
His move to Sacramento had been framed as a fresh start, a chance to reset in a new environment with a defined role. Those who watched him in camp spoke of a player eager to prove himself again. That the opportunity has been taken away by a practice injury, of all things, is the kind of twist that reminds everyone how fragile sporting careers can be.
What comes next for Simmons is a gruelling rehabilitation process and, eventually, another attempt at a comeback. He has shown resilience before, and those close to him will point to his work ethic as reason for optimism. But there is no disguising the scale of the challenge: returning from a torn Achilles demands patience, and the NBA waits for no one.
Kings must regroup quickly
For Sacramento, the season goes on, and the Western Conference offers no sympathy. The Kings must now find answers in Simmons’ absence, whether through internal options stepping into bigger roles or adjustments to how the second unit functions. Murray’s emotional reaction suggests a tight-knit group, and teams that rally around an injured teammate can sometimes find an extra edge.
The Kings’ ambitions have not changed, but their margin for error has shrunk. Depth is tested most in October and November, when rotations are still settling and every team believes it can contend. How Sacramento responds in the coming weeks will reveal much about the character of the roster.
In the end, though, this story is about more than wins and losses. A player who has given so much to the game now faces another lonely winter of rehabilitation, supported by teammates who clearly care deeply about him. The Kings will play on, but they will do so with Simmons’ absence felt every single night.