The Kings are fully tanking! Hunter is set for eye surgery, ending his season and joining LaVine and Sabonis on the sidelines.

On February 21st Beijing time, as reported by Haynes and Stein, De’Andre Hunter of the Sacramento Kings will be sidelined for the rest of the 2025-26 season due to upcoming eye surgery.

Hunter was the Kings’ only acquisition before the trade deadline but suffered an eye injury in just his second game with the team and missed the final three games before the All-Star break due to iritis (inflammation of the iris) in his left eye.

The 28-year-old player was close to returning, having participated fully in post-All-Star training, but ultimately missed the Kings’ recent loss to the Orlando Magic — marking the team’s 15th straight defeat. Now, he will miss the final 25 games of the season.

Hunter becomes the third high-paid Kings player to be ruled out for the season, following Domantas Sabonis (knee surgery) and Zach LaVine (hand surgery). With a current record of 12 wins and 45 losses, the Kings sit last in the league, leading many to believe the team is committed to tanking completely.

Hunter was the 4th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and spent the first five and a half seasons of his career with the Atlanta Hawks before being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers last year. Despite strong performances late in the 2024-25 season with the Cavs, his outside shooting struggled this season, and he was traded to the Kings in a three-team deal earlier this month, with the Cavaliers acquiring Keon Ellis and Dennis Schröder in return.

This season, Hunter has appeared in 45 games, averaging 26.1 minutes per contest, contributing 13.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game, with shooting percentages of 41.5% from the field, 30.5% from three-point range, and 86.7% from the free-throw line.

Hunter is earning $23.3 million this season, with his contract running through the 2026-27 season. He is set to make $24.9 million next year and will become a free agent once his contract expires.