Ben Simmons is staying in Sacramento to begin his recovery from a torn right Achilles tendon, and he has no intention of letting the injury be the final chapter of his NBA career. The Australian told Andscape he decided to keep playing while still on the court after the injury, rather than wait for the surgery or the long rehabilitation ahead to make that decision for him.
The timing was particularly cruel. Simmons tore the tendon during a Kings practice drill on 18 October and underwent surgery in New York on 20 October. He had just returned to NBA pre-season action after sitting out 2025–26, appearing in two games for Sacramento. Andscape reported averages of 10.5 points, four rebounds and four assists in 17.5 minutes across those appearances. Instead of a regular-season return, he now faces another year away from competitive NBA basketball.
What has changed since the initial injury news is the clarity of his plan. Simmons intends to rehabilitate in Sacramento with the Kings' support. He told Andscape that general manager Scott Perry, coach Doug Christie, owner Vivek Ranadivé and his teammates had been in touch, while Zach LaVine had already visited him. That matters for a player who spent his previous season away from the league as a free agent, working through back and knee problems without the same club environment around him.
Simmons, the 2016 No. 1 draft pick and a three-time All-Star, is not offering a return date or pretending an Achilles recovery is a straightforward exercise. His stated target is to play again next season. He also wants to return to the Kings, although that is an ambition rather than a confirmed future contract. His last NBA appearance remains the Clippers' playoff loss to Denver on 29 April 2025.
There is a basketball question beyond the rehabilitation calendar. Sacramento had signed Simmons after a pre-season audition, and his unusual blend of size, passing and defensive versatility offered a different way to organise possessions. Those two exhibition games were an encouraging glimpse, not enough to prove what he would have produced across a full campaign. The Kings now have to plan their season without that option rather than wait for a late rescue.
The NBL's 30 October report also highlighted Simmons' determination to continue. For Australian basketball followers, the significance is not a dramatic comeback promise. It is that a player whose career has repeatedly been interrupted by injury has made a specific choice about where to do the work and who will be alongside him.
Simmons' next milestone is rehabilitation, not a box score. Whether he eventually regains his old level is an open question, but his immediate plan is settled: recover in Sacramento and give himself another chance to play NBA basketball.
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