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Dave McMenamin
Multiple Authors
The Sacramento Kings’ forward De’Andre Hunter has undergone left eye surgery that will end his season, as confirmed by a team spokesperson on Friday.
The injury, which occurred on February 6 against the LA Clippers, was diagnosed as a retinal detachment. The operation was carried out on Friday afternoon by Dr. M. Ali Khan at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Roseville, California.
According to the team, Hunter is expected to fully recover, with an update set to be provided in about eight weeks.
At 28 years old, Hunter joined the Kings through a three-team trade involving the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls earlier this month. Sacramento traded guards Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis to Cleveland, while Hunter moved from the Cavaliers to the Kings and the Bulls received two second-round picks along with Sacramento’s Dario Saric.
During his short time with the Kings, Hunter played in two games, where he averaged 7.5 points and 1.5 rebounds, with a shooting percentage of 21% before being placed on the inactive list due to left eye iritis.
Hunter marks the third Kings player to face season-ending surgery recently, following Domantas Sabonis (left knee meniscus repair) and Zach LaVine (right fifth finger tendon repair). These surgeries coincide with NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s concerns about the league’s tanking situation, which he noted has been “worse this year than in recent memory.”
Silver stated he has had discussions with the league’s 30 general managers to address this concern.
The Kings currently hold the worst record in the NBA at 12-45. If they maintain this standing, they will have a 14% chance of securing the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, which is anticipated to feature a strong array of prospects.
