Kings' De'Andre Hunter Out for Season After Eye Surgery

Third season-ending injury for Sacramento since All-Star break

Apr. 10, 2026 at 8:27am

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A fragmented, cubist-style painting depicting a basketball player's head and upper body, with sharp geometric shapes and planes in the team's colors representing the injury and surgery.The Kings' injury woes continue as forward De'Andre Hunter undergoes season-ending eye surgery, adding to the team's mounting challenges in their playoff push.Cleveland Today

Another season-ending injury strikes the Sacramento Kings, as forward De'Andre Hunter undergoes surgery for a retinal detachment in his left eye. This comes just two days after Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine also suffered season-ending injuries.

Why it matters

Hunter's injury is the latest blow to the Kings, who have now lost three key players for the remainder of the season. This will further impact the team's playoff hopes as they try to secure a postseason berth.

The details

Hunter, a 7th-year veteran, was traded to the Kings from the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team deal on February 5th. Prior to this, he had only been with the Cavaliers for a year after being acquired from the Atlanta Hawks. Hunter's shooting performance this season has been a concern, with his 3-point stroke bottoming out at 30.5%, a significant drop from his previous season's 32.6% average. Despite this, he has averaged 13.7 points and 4.1 rebounds in 26.1 minutes across 45 games, including 25 starts.

  • Hunter underwent surgery on April 8, 2026.
  • His recovery is expected to take approximately eight weeks.

The players

De'Andre Hunter

A 7th-year NBA forward who was recently traded to the Sacramento Kings.

Domantas Sabonis

A Kings player who also suffered a season-ending injury just two days prior to Hunter's surgery.

Zach LaVine

Another Kings player who suffered a season-ending injury around the same time as Sabonis and Hunter.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The team that traded De'Andre Hunter to the Sacramento Kings in a three-team deal on February 5th.

Atlanta Hawks

The team that originally had De'Andre Hunter before he was traded to the Cavaliers and then the Kings.

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What’s next

The Kings will provide further updates on Hunter's recovery timeline and status as he goes through the rehabilitation process.

The takeaway

The Kings' playoff hopes have taken a major hit with the loss of three key players to season-ending injuries in a short span. The team will need to find ways to overcome these setbacks and rally together to secure a postseason berth.