Ben Simmons hasn’t played in an NBA game since April 2025 and is expected to miss the entire 2026/27 season while he recovers from Achilles tear. But after a strong preseason in Sacramento this month, the 30-year-old remains determined to return to the league after his latest injury setback, he says Mark J. Spears from Andscape.
“My mentality is I’ll be back” Simmons said. “I’m going to do everything in my power to get back and get healthy and be better than I was before. There’s nothing but time and opportunity for that. So I’m going to attack it the way I am right now.
“It felt like I waited (after the Achilles tear) for hours (down) on my knees, but obviously it wasn’t that long. But I feel like at that point I had to make a decision. … ‘Are you going to come back or are you going to let this hold you back?’ rehabilitation”.
A three-time All-Star, Simmons saw his production and playing time decline over his last few years in the NBA as he dealt with back problems that required multiple surgeries. However, he tells Spears that he fully believes he is still “capable of playing in this league” and that he intends to “come back dominant.”
Simmons will begin the rehabilitation process in Sacramento and expressed his gratitude The necklaces for believing in him and supporting him. He told Spears this Zach Lavin visited him after his injury and that other teammates also want to come see him.
“Everyone has been wonderful, from (CEO) Scott (Perry) to (team owner) Vivek (Ranadiv) to train (Doug) Christy and my teammates said the former 1st overall pick. “Everyone in Sacramento has been great. They’ve been very supportive. That’s the main thing, just showing that they’re there and they care. Everything else I can handle. (Sacramento) is home to me. I’ve built a home here now. And I have support. So it makes the most sense (to start the rehab process in Sacramento).”
As Spears writes, Warriors, Timberwolvesand Nix everyone registered some interest in Simmons this offseason, but the Kings were the only team to watch him work in Miami and offer him a contract. Golden State’s interest — and the lack of an offer — led to some tongue-in-cheek banter between Simmons and the Warriors head coach Steve Kerr during a preseason game on Oct. 10.
“I said something to Steve” Simmons admitted. “I said, ‘You didn’t want me?’ It was in the first quarter. And (Kerr) said, ‘I didn’t know if you were healthy.’ And I said, “Okay. That’s why you have people who do their job and fly out and see.” But it is what it is. I’m just competitive. It wasn’t personal.”
