Sacramento Kings forward De’Andre Hunter will sit out the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign after electing to undergo surgery on his left eye, league sources Chris Haynes and Marc Stein said Thursday.
The 28-year-old sustained the injury in his second appearance for Sacramento, shortly after arriving in a deadline-day trade. Medical examinations revealed left-eye iritis, forcing him to miss the final three games before the All-Star break. Although Hunter practiced in full on Wednesday, the club ruled him out Thursday, and the decision for surgery soon followed.
Hunter becomes the third high-salary Kings player shut down for the season, joining Domantas Sabonis (knee surgery) and Zach LaVine (hand surgery). Sacramento, currently 12-45 and mired in a 15-game losing streak, sits at the bottom of the NBA standings.
Across 45 total games with Atlanta and Sacramento, Hunter averaged 13.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 30.5 percent from three-point range. He is earning $23.3 million this season and is under contract through 2026-27 at $24.9 million.
With Hunter, Sabonis, LaVine and rookie Dylan Cardwell all sidelined long term, the Kings are expected to qualify for an NBA hardship exception, according to salary-cap analyst Yossi Gozlan. The team also has open standard and two-way roster spots available.
Source: Hoops Wire
