“About to Make Him a Captain”: Marc Spears Drops Bombshell on Ben Simmons’ Kings Comeback Before Achilles Tear

Not too long ago, Ben Simmons was strapped up and prepared for his NBA comeback in the 2026-27 season. However, on Sunday, Simmons shockingly tore his right Achilles tendon during a practice session with the Sacramento Kings. Because of this injury, he is now set to miss the entirety of the upcoming season, further extending his absence from the league.

While Simmons finally returned to NBA action in the preseason after missing the 2025-26 season to focus on his health, the games and stats he racked up don't count in his career totals. But the bigger heartbreak is missing another season with injury.

For the Kings, it is a huge loss, especially after seeing Simmons put in a respectable performance against the San Antonio Spurs Saturday, when he scored 14 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and one steal. Apparently, his performance nearly got him the role of team captain.

"It's going to be tough, as he was playing so well, maybe the best of any player on the Kings," NBA insider Marc Spears said on NBA Today. "I think Doug Christie was about to make him a captain."

Thankfully for Simmons, he has a guaranteed $ 2.45 million coming his way from the Kings despite signing a non-guaranteed contract. John Hollinger of The Athletic revealed that whether Sacramento decides to waive Simmons or not, the team still has to pay him because injured players are exempt from the rule.

"The reason is the salary continuation rule, which states that injured players on non-guaranteed contracts must continue to be paid until they are healthy again," Hollinger wrote. "Notably, this protection does not apply to players who sign training camp contracts – also referred to as Exhibit 9 or Exhibit 10 deals, which are only protected up to $15,000. But Simmons didn't sign that type of contract."

With that in mind, it's unlikely that the Kings will let go of Simmons throughout the season. It could even result in another opportunity for the Australian Forward to play for them next season, as he will look to build bonds with his new Kings team.

Ben Simmons Remains Optimistic Despite Season-Ending Injury

If you're in the shoes of Ben Simmons, it's possible that you'd give up on playing basketball. Imagine having to sacrifice a year to work on your body and focus on recovering from nagging injuries, then announcing an NBA comeback only to get hurt again even before the season begins.

However, despite the dampening situation, Simmons appears to be optimistic about his NBA future. In a now-expired Instagram Story post, Ben reassured fans that he doesn't plan on closing the door on basketball yet. Instead, he'll use his Achilles injury as motivation to come back even stronger than before.

"I've faced challenges before that tested me mentally, physically, and emotionally, and I've found a way through every single one of them," Simmons wrote on his Instagram stories. "This injury is another chapter in my journey, not the end of my story.

"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. I've been knocked down before, and I've always found a way to get back up. This time will be no different."

It'll be interesting to see if an NBA team would still want to invest in Simmons come the 2027-28 season when he fully recovers from the Achilles tear.

The result of his recent time off showed that he may be injury-prone. That is usually a put-off for basketball scouts.