The Kings bench another star until the end of the season: that makes 3 already!

Sacramento Kings suffer another significant loss, aiding their blatant tanking for the best possible pick in the NBA Draft 2026. Forward De'Andre Hunter underwent surgery on his left eye, ending his season, as confirmed by the team on Friday.

Hunter sustained the injury on February 6 against Los Angeles Clippers and was later diagnosed with a detached retina. The procedure was performed by Dr. M. Ali Khan at Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center in California. The franchise stated that full recovery is expected, with a reassessment in about eight weeks.

The 28-year-old player arrived at the Kings earlier this month in a three-team trade involving Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls. Sacramento sent Dennis Schröder and Keon Ellis to Cleveland; Hunter moved from the Cavs to the Kings; and Chicago received two second-round picks along with center Dario Saric.

Hunter only played two games with Sacramento, averaging 7.5 points and 1.5 rebounds, shooting 21% from the field. Prior to the detached retina confirmation, he had already been listed as inactive due to iritis in the same eye.

A worrying streak of injuries

Hunter is the third Kings player to undergo surgery in recent days, following Domantas Sabonis (left knee meniscus repair) and Zach LaVine (repair of the fifth finger tendon in the right hand).

The injuries come at a delicate time for the franchise, which holds the worst record in the league at 12-45. Amid discussions about tanking—an issue that Commissioner Adam Silver has deemed more serious than in recent years—Sacramento is in the midst of a rebuilding phase.

If the Kings finish with the worst record in the NBA, they will have a 14% chance of obtaining the top pick in the 2026 draft lottery, a class many consider deep in talent but lacking a clearly generational prospect.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Los Kings sientan a otra estrella hasta final de temporada: ¡ya van 3!