De’Andre Hunter is back in the conversation in Sacramento, and that alone should catch Kings fans’ attention.
The forward barely got a chance to wear a Kings uniform after last February’s deadline deal sent Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Hunter. In his second game with Sacramento, he suffered a season-ending eye injury, leaving him with just 51 minutes on the court before his first year with the team was over.
Eight months later, Hunter says he’s ready to move forward. With the Kings set for their preseason opener on Monday, he said after Friday’s practice that he feels healthy again.
"It's been good. It feels good to be back out there again," Hunter said after practice on Friday.
"My eye feels good. My health feels good.
Just excited for the season."
Hunter also talked about the process of getting back to normal after the injury, along with the physical edge he’s seeing in Kings scrimmages and the amount of trash talk inside the gym.
The bigger point for Sacramento is what Hunter can bring when he’s right. He hasn’t had the chance to show it in a Kings uniform yet, but his track record says plenty.
Over six previous seasons, he’s established himself as a productive starter-level wing, and in 2024-25 with the Atlanta Hawks and Cavaliers, he averaged 17.0 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 47% from the field and 40.5% from 3-point range. That performance also put him fourth in Sixth Man of the Year voting.
That kind of production is part of why Hunter matters in this new Sacramento mix, especially with the Kings talking up a more versatile defensive identity. While Darius Acuff Jr., Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine draw most of the offensive buzz, Hunter gives the roster another player who can fit into multiple roles.
When asked about the defensive flexibility of a group that includes him, Keegan Murray and Ben Simmons, Hunter pointed to the ability to swap assignments without overloading any one player.
"It makes it easier defensively. Keegan can guard one through four, one through five at times.
I can do the same. Ben can do the same.
So just having the ability to interchange like that-we don't necessarily have a specific matchup-it can kind of save your legs too in the game. It's definitely helpful," he said.
If Hunter stays healthy and gives Sacramento steady defense along with reliable shooting from deep, he could end up being one of the more important pieces in the lineup. He may be the least-discussed starter on the roster right now, but that also makes him one of the more intriguing. With Acuff Jr., LaVine, Murray and Sabonis drawing the headlines, Hunter is the one flying under the radar - and on an expiring contract, he has plenty to prove.
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