De'Andre

Hunter

While Hunter practiced on Wednesday, he has not appeared in a game since a February 6 loss to the Clippers. The wing, acquired from the Cavaliers at the trade deadline, was inadvertently struck in the left eye by Clippers wing Kobe Sanders, resulting in left eye iritis. Further evaluations revealed a detached retina, prompting Friday’s procedure. Hunter is the third Kings rotation player to be ruled out for the rest of the season, joining Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis. Hunter’s absence means more playing time for Nique Clifford and Daeqwon Plowden, with the former being a player who should be rostered for the rest of the season.

Hunter will remain out for a fourth consecutive game as he continues to recover from left eye iritis. With Keegan Murray making his return on Thursday, Hunter’s absence led to Daeqwon Plowden playing ten minutes off the bench. There’s no need to stream Plowden while the Kings await Hunter’s return.

While Hunter participated in Wednesday’s practice, he is not yet ready to play in games. The good news for the Kings is that Keegan Murray (ankle) will be available for the first time since late January. He should absorb a good percentage of the minutes that would go to Hunter.

Injured during a February 6 loss to the Cavaliers, Hunter missed Sacramento’s final two games before the All-Star break. He came off the bench in that contest, with Daeqwon Plowden starting. However, Plowden did not remain in the starting lineup, and there’s no need to consider streaming him, especially with Keegan Murray (ankle) on track to return.

Hunter has been diagnosed with iritis in his left eye after being inadvertently poked in the eye by Clippers wing Kobe Sanders during Friday’s loss to the Clippers. His absence opens up a spot in the starting lineup, with rookie Nique Clifford being the player most likely to fill the void. Given where the Kings are in the standings, Clifford and Devin Carter should have added fantasy value after the All-Star break.

Hunter injured his left eye after taking an inadvertent hit from Clippers’ wing Kobe Sanders. The Kings’ forward/guard has been diagnosed with left eye iritis, which is swelling and irritation in the colored ring around the pupil. Hopefully, this will not be an injury that keeps Hunter sidelined for an extended period. Nique Clifford, who logged 33 minutes on Friday, may move into the starting lineup after coming off the bench.

Hunter was struck near the eye during the third quarter of Friday’s contest when attempting to defend the Clippers’ Kobe Sanders. He exited the game and was eventually ruled out during the fourth quarter. Hunter, who was recently acquired by the Kings via trade, has started in each of his two appearances with the team. If he has to miss any time, Nique Clifford could see an increased role.

Hunter will make his Kings’ debut as a starter, pushing Precious Achiuwa out of the starting lineup. As a starter, Hunter possesses a higher fantasy ceiling, but he may only be in that role until Keegan Murray returns from his sprained left ankle. Westbrook and Sabonis are back in the lineup, with the latter having missed Sacramento’s last three games.

The Kings’ next game is on Wednesday against the Grizzlies, and all three players have a chance to take the court. If Sabonis and Westy are cleared, they should handle their usual workloads. It’s unclear where Hunter will fit into Sacramento’s rotation, so fantasy managers should keep an eye on his usage once he’s ready to debut.

DeRozan’s name has been mentioned in recent rumors as a player the Kings may look to move ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline. Sunday’s performance was a nice audition for the veteran wing, who rebounded nicely from a poor showing in Friday’s blowout loss to the Celtics. And if DeRozan remains in Sacramento past the deadline, how much will he play, especially with the Kings needing to get Nique Clifford (6/3/4/2) more opportunities and adding De’Andre Hunter to the mix via Saturday’s trade with the Cavaliers and Bulls? The Kings play three games in Week 16.