Injuries and losses continue to pile up for the Sacramento Kings. Kings forward De'Andre Hunter will undergo season-ending eye surgery, according to NBA insiders Chris Haynes and Marc Stein.
Hunter, 28, was acquired by the Kings earlier this month in a trade that sent Dennis Schröder and Keon Ellis to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was injured in his second game as a King against the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 6. This season, he averaged 13.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2 assists while shooting 41.5% from the field.
Hunter is the third Kings player to undergo season-ending surgery this week. Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis will also miss the rest of the season with their respective injuries. LaVine and Sabonis are the Kings’ highest-paid players and both rank among the team’s top three leading scorers.
Sacramento will now rely on a mix of veterans and young players in the absence of its top stars. DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook are both over 35 years old, while the return of Keegan Murray from a left ankle sprain and contributions from rookie Maxime Raynaud could provide some bright spots.
The Kings’ shutdowns come amid the league’s efforts to combat tanking. The NBA has already fined the Indiana Pacers and the Utah Jazz for what commissioner Adam Silver described as “overt” tanking behavior.
Now on a franchise-worst 15-game losing streak, the 12–45 Kings haven't logged a win since Jan. 16 against the Washington Wizards. They hold the worst record in the NBA and are on pace to miss the playoffs for the third consecutive year. Before their playoff appearance in the 2022–23 season, the Kings endured a 16-season playoff drought.