Ben Simmons has suffered a torn Achilles tendon and will undergo surgery, the Sacramento Kings announced.
It’s likely a season-ending injury for the 30-year-old guard, who had put together an impressive training camp on short notice, ESPN reported.
The team said it happened during a live drill at Sunday’s practice.
The three-time All-Star agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Kings on Sept. 4. He was healthy at the time, and the 6-foot-10, 240-pound guard impressed general manager Scott Perry when he worked out for him in Miami and sat down for an hourlong meeting in late August.
Simmons also visited Sacramento last month, where coach Doug Christie and other staff members were impressed by his in-depth medical exam and on-court workout at the team’s practice facility.
Days later, the Kings offered him a contract. The plan was for him to back up rookie Darius Acuff Jr. at point guard and play positions 1 through 5, a high-upside reclamation project with years left in his prospective prime. In two preseason games, he averaged 10.5 points in 17.5 minutes.
Simmons responded in a statement on social media. “I’ve faced challenges before that tested me mentally, physically and emotionally, and I’ve found a way through every single one of them,” he wrote. “This injury is another chapter in my journey, not the end of my story.”
He added: “It’s never easy being away from the game I love, especially after everything it took to get back here. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that adversity doesn’t define you. How you respond to it does.”
