De'Andre Hunter finds himself in a challenging spot with the Sacramento Kings. His debut season with the team was cut short and didn't leave much of an impression, leading to speculation that the Kings might look to move him by the 2027 trade deadline.
Last season, all eyes were on Sacramento, with fans anticipating major shake-ups both during the 2025 offseason and as the 2026 trade deadline approached. However, the expected blockbuster moves never materialized, leaving the Kings with a to-do list of trades that still lingers.
The front office has its work cut out for it, especially when it comes to dealing with hefty contracts like those of Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis. Offloading these star players won't be easy, but it's a task the team seems committed to tackling in due time.
The Kings' sole significant move before the 2026 trade deadline was trading away Dennis Schroder, Keon Ellis, and Dario Saric to acquire Hunter. This trade also cleared the way to sign Dylan Cardwell to a full contract. Unfortunately for Hunter, an injury sidelined him after just one and a half games.
The NBA's fast pace doesn't spare anyone, not even in Sacramento. Hunter's injury required eye surgery, keeping him out for the remainder of the 2025-2026 season. Now, fully recovered and cleared for action, Hunter is set to participate in training camp and contribute to the team's depth in the upcoming season.
While Hunter will start the season as a King, his future with the team remains uncertain as the trade deadline looms. The last stretch of the 2025-2026 season saw promising development from the team's rookies and sophomores, a period Hunter missed due to his injury.
With the 2026 NBA Draft bringing in fresh talent, the Kings are deep into their youth-focused rebuild. The critical question is whether Hunter fits into this evolving picture or if the Kings will decide to part ways.
The trade for Hunter was largely about creating space for Cardwell, so it's plausible that Hunter could be part of another trade deadline strategy in 2027. As the new season kicks off, Hunter has a limited window to prove his value to the team.
In Other News...
Kings Suddenly Have A Real Chance To Fix Their Biggest Roster Hole
The Kings have been searching for more athletic help on the wing, especially the kind that can stay in front of people, space the floor and take some pressure off the rest of the rotation. That search has suddenly gotten a little more interesting with Ziaire Williams, whose late-season stretch with Brooklyn hinted at a player still finding his way but starting to settle into a clearer role on both ends.
Williams drew attention for better three-point shooting and stronger perimeter defense down the stretch, the sort of profile Sacramento has lacked when the roster gets thin on the wing. He is now available at a time when the Kings need solutions more than depth, and that makes him the kind of name worth watching as they try to patch one of their most obvious holes. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylen Brown Trade Buzz Just Put Celtics Fans On Edge
The latest round of trade chatter around Jaylen Brown has Sacramento linked to a far bigger domino chain than usual. According to the reported framework, Portland is looking into a three-team deal that would put Brown in play, with Boston pulling in a package of Blazers players and draft picks before moving assets on to the Kings in a separate exchange for Domantas Sabonis.
From Sacramentos side, the interest is less about Brown than about what it would take to alter the frontcourt and reshape the roster around DeMar DeRozan. Portland would be positioned to land DeRozan in the process, but the entire concept still hinges on multiple negotiations lining up, which is why it sits firmly in speculative territory for now. [Read more 🡒]
Kings May Revisit An Offseason Mistake To Fix The Backcourt
The Kings offseason shuffle already looks like one of the more uneasy stretches of the year, with a backcourt piece in Keon Ellis going out in the deal that sent him and Dennis Schroder to Cleveland and brought Deandre Hunter back to Sacramento. Ellis found a larger role with the Cavaliers and, unsurprisingly, made better use of it, while Hunters stint with the Kings barely got started before a season-ending eye injury derailed his season.
Now the more awkward part of the story is whether Sacramento has to circle back to the very player it chose to move on from. The front office still has a clear need for more defense and shooting on the perimeter, and Ellis has become a logical name to watch as the Kings weigh how to patch together a backcourt that never quite settled after the offseason changes. [Read more 🡒]