Ben Simmons will not make his return to the NBA this season due to a torn right Achilles tendon sustained while practising with the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

Simmons signed a one-year contract with Sacramento last month after not appearing in the NBA during the 2025-26 season.

His last action came during the 2025 play-offs while with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Simmons has had an injury-plagued career since being selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.

He sat out the 2016-17 season due to a fractured foot before going on to win NBA Rookie of the Year honours in 2018.

Simmons averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists in 275 games with Philadelphia from 2017-21 before missing an entire season again in 2021-22.

The three-time All-Star requested a trade in August 2021 and was eventually moved to the Brooklyn Nets in February 2022 in the deal that sent James Harden to the 76ers.

An MRI confirmed a season-ending torn right Achilles tendon for Ben Simmons. A devastating turn of events on the eve of his NBA return after rehabilitating from back surgeries.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 18, 2026

One month after being dealt to the Nets, Simmons was diagnosed with a herniated disk in his back and underwent surgery in early May 2022.

Simmons made his Brooklyn debut on opening night of the 2022-23 campaign but then played in just 90 of the Nets’ 216 games before having his contract bought out in February 2025 and joining the Clippers for the remainder of the season.

The 30-year-old Australian has averaged 5.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists in 108 games since leaving the 76ers.

The Kings, who tied the Utah Jazz for the worst record in the Western Conference last season at 22-60, open their 2026-27 campaign on Wednesday at the Clippers.