Devastating news from the Kings today as ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that Ben Simmons has suffered a torn Achilles in practice today, ending his season just days before he was set to make his comeback. Simmons was a bright spot for the Kings in training camp and preseason, and was reportedly set to even start for the team, but now will have work on rehabilitating from yet another injury.
While this news is bad for the Kings, who had hoped Simmons could fill a role as a secondary playmaker/connector as well as a defender, it’s ten times as devastating for Simmons, who has already spent the majority of his career dealing with various injuries. He had taken a year off to get his mind and body right, and was reportedly in excellent shape coming into camp. Simmons also had a documentary release just today on ESPN where he spoke about his comeback and how much returning to basketball meant to him after the adversity he’s faced. That comeback will have to wait a bit longer now, if it is even able to come at all.
With Simmons out, the Kings will likely look to sign another veteran Point Guard to give rookie Darius Acuff Jr. some support. Elfrid Payton was recently released by the team but it wouldn’t surprise me if the Kings get him back on the roster quickly due to this injury.
Best of luck to Ben, and hopefully a full and complete recovery.
Poor guy. Wishing him a full and speedy recovery. This team is cursed.
I hope he does well I appreciated his efforts
Horrible for Ben Simmons. Dude worked so hard to come back and play at an elite level. Just devastating for the young man.
He was gong to hopefully be one of my bright spots for the Kings this year. Now, I honestly just have no interest in this team.
From a Kings perspective, If I’m not mistaken, Ben’s salary becomes fully guaranteed once the season starts. The Kings may have a horrible decision to make in cutting him to save salary in order to sign someone else. Should they keep him and sign a guy like Payton, they cap themselves out at the tax line with no open roster spots.
I hope they keep him…I know its a shot in the dark for next year but I believe it’s still a better long-term play than anything else you do with the roster slot.
I also hope the Kings keep Ben. He looked really good! It would also signal to other players currently on the roster and around the league that the organization is loyal to the players. Sac is far from most free agents dream location. Dumping players that get hurt just makes the Kings an even less attractive option.
Let’s not get carried away here? The guy barely played the last few years, was never viewed as a leader, basketball junkie or a great teammate.
You want to be somewhat attractive to other players, how about getting a GM who doesn’t make crappy trades and awful Monday morning inspirational quotes and a real Head Coach first?
Seems like he will still get his salary regardless?
I suppose they can keep him on the books and use the Injured Players Exception. It would only count for half of his salary, which is a pittance, but it does open a roster spot. I think it saves the Kings around $1.5M on the cap. It’s not nothing, but it’s also not much to work with.
In the end, he is a UFA next summer, so there is no benefit to keeping on the roster other than it being the ethical thing to do.
Yea Ben Simmons was so elite in the preseason man. Kings should lock him up to a max.
At least Elfrid Payton is still on the team. And now we understand why none the core players we’re allowed to play in the pre season. Load management, this is the way.
I believe they cut Payton yesterday. Final cuts have to be made by tomorrow. The timing of all this is horrible.
Wishing for a healthy recovery. Definitely a bummer to hear this for Ben.
I feel bad for Simmons. Him, Acuff, and whats left of Keegan Murray were what I was looking forward to seeing this season. I hope he can make a full recovery. Even if only for his health and future mobility.
I was looking forward to Simmons injecting new life into the team by being a nightly triple double threat as well as he and Murray being the best 2 defenders. This really sucks.
Come on, Sutter Health. Give us some frickin health.
Hoping you recover well, Ben. You were looking really good this preseason.
Another nail in the 2026-27 Kings coffin. He was going to be a help, but not enough to prevent the Kings from being one of the three worst teams in the league. I feel sorry for season ticket holders. Ranadive should send them a $5,000 rebate for each seat.
And in other NBA news.
Cason Wallace signs for 5/$139.
Isn’t he just a role player? What am I missing here? I don’t get NBA contracts at this point.
https://x.com/shamscharania/status/2112008869610475934?s=46&t=I1eyixo45RHZ8REEnFjSJw
IMO, the guy is the ultimate 5th guy on a very good starting unit. Elite POA defender, hits open shots, physical, and doesn’t demand the ball. He made Dort expendable and will eventually do the same for Caruso.
I was hoping they wouldn’t extend him and let him hit FA. I thought he would have been excellent next to Acuff. He’s kind of an old school dude like Christie. Can handle and distribute the ball, defend, and hit an open shot. He’s a more well rounded prime Marcus Smart.
Also, don’t second guess Presti.
It’s basically $11m a year over what an MLE would be over this five year period. It leans to the expensive side, but $139m in NBA money ($27.8m annually) ain’t what it used to be.
And yeah, Sam Presti.
Get well soon, Ben!
Horrible for Simmons. And just when there was a documentary out on his comeback?
And-one.
I am not a betting man (otherwise I coudl have been rich betting against the Kings), but I am willing to bet that once things for the Kings are totally going south (aka the start to the regular season), the talking heads will use the Simmons injury as one of the main excuses.
Never mind that he has played less than a hundred games over the last 6 seasons and was a late off-season addition on a one-year prove-it deal, this will be pushed as one of the main reasons the Kings season will derail…
Oh, it’s Monday! So curious which inspirational quote Perry will use today to once again explain that no matter how stupid your ideas and how clueless your plan, you got to stick with it and have blind belief in yourself.
I was pretty skeptical that Simmons could help this team, with so little talent anywhere and the vets and front office each clearly wanting the older high salaty players gone. I was also skeptical he could stay healthy, which sucks.
I feel bad for the guy. Whatever was going to happen going forward, his intentions were good, and I hope he recovers quickly. I hope there’s some sort of injury allowance, so Vivek’s cheap ass doesn’t get involved.
The good news is that this team will be in no better position a year from now than they are today. The best case scenario is they get a high lottery pick. There will be no other meaningful improvement in the next in year. If the Kings don’t put themselves into the luxury tax with a panic deal, the roster spot, salary and minutes will be just as open to Simmons next season as they are today.
I feel really bad for Ben Simmons after all this time of dealing with mental and physical roadblocks. The fan side of me thinks we just lost one of the only two reasons to even half pay attention to the Kings this season. If this isnt a sign that this season is going to be one of the worst ever for them, I dont know what is.
Time to face the fact that this team is cursed. We sold our souls to save our team and the devil gave us an entitled billionaire clown (a redundant statement, I know) as our albatross, our end of the bargain. Obviously, Vivek isn’t responsible for poor Ben Simmons’ injury, but, also obviously, we’re cursed. I’m joking. I don’t believe in curses or intelligent billionaires (they may have been intelligent once, but once they get that money they lose it).
I’m just shocked at the injuries over the last 13 months. This is insane. A curse would make sense. There’s no such thing so, wtaf? Get better Ben. I’m rooting for you dude.
Feel awful for him. Just stinks because it seemed like he might actually be a useful basketball player again. As for what it means for the team? I don’t think it means anything. This team is going to be awful regardless. It’s just one more nail in the coffin for anything interesting from the Kings this season.
I officially moved from California in 2024, but I can’t bring myself to root for another Team because I was born and raised in the Sacramento area. Damn This is just yet another reason now to consider my fandom. OK, I considered it. I’ll still remain Kangz Fan as I guess it’s easy to have low expectations and not be disappointed
OT: According to Marc Stein the Grizz are attempting to trade Walter Clayton Jr to trim the roster down by 5pm. The Kings are rumored to be a destination. He’s a bit of combo guard in the mold of a smaller Monk, IMO.
Clayton’s shooting numbers are a horror show. It certainly doesn’t look like Sharp can shoot either. Elfrid Payton hasn’t shot 40% in an NBA season since 2021. None of this really matters, because the team is going to be terrible no matter what their backup point guard situation is, but it’d be great to kick the tires on maybe a GLeague player who can shoot, or someone’s third point guard that doesn’t have a glaring skill deficit? Maybe that just doesn’t exist.
Monk can’t really play point guard, but I’d rather Malik be the backup point guard than a bunch of guys who are in the mid 30’s or worse in FG%. That of course assumes they’re actually going to play Monk at all, which hasn’t happened yet. You have to wonder if there’s something else going on there.
This organization is the textbook definition of snakebit. I’ve never seen anything like it in my lifetime.
Heal quickly and well, Ben. You were one of the few reasons I was going to convince myself to even watch this dreck this season.
I wonder what else I can do with my time this winter…
Injury aside, and you have to feel bad for the guy
But in the last two seasons Westbrook and Simmons were seemingly last minute adds and one ended up a starter and the other was scheduled to start and may well have been been a salve that helped plug a number of holes in the good ship Kings. Firstly That doesn’t reflect well in my opinion on the front office. Secondly this could be a rough year
The Vivek Voodoo is real…
As sad as it sounds Simmons might have been one of the few things giving us a shot at staying out of Bottom 3.
I definitely see bottom 3 finish now
He was one of the few things I thought actually might be fun to watch this year, wow, might’ve even have been my favorite thing this year.
I will be watching almost zero Kangz this year
Only referencing my own disappointment here but obviously feel bad for Ben. Not sure how you come back from an Achilles after everything he’s already been through but definitely hope he can come back.
I think he’s shown already he can have a good life without basketball and he’s very rich so all in all I think he’s doing great.
Worlds smallest violin because it ain’t about me and all that but damn did my Kings enthusiasm take a hit. I’m so bummed for Ben. He seemed primed to narrarate his comeback story.
The Kings basically sat their team for the whole preseason. Where is this injury bug coming from? I was looking forward to seeing what Ben Simmons would do with the Kings. Wow.
First and foremost, here’s hoping for a speedy and full recovery for Simmons.
I wasn’t counting on Simmons being available for more than roughly 40 games, and I’m not sure that I would have had his added wins total at more than 1 or 2, max. But he was an intriguing story line, and a low cost lottery ticket that has now been scratched off with no winnings to be found.
Fly away little bird, be free.
/sad face
I feel awful for Ben … from everything I saw he was in a really good place mentally and physically and could have helped this team.
I was really looking forward to his comeback story.
Whoa, Bucks just waived Kevin Porter Jr.
And LaL waived Knecht
And the Kings waived Flagler, opening up a two-way slot.
That POS?
Don’t tell me you want him for the Kings.
Badge Legend