De'Andre

Hunter

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.

Saturday’s trade was a three-team affair, with the Bulls receiving Dario Sarić and two second-round picks. As for Hunter, a trade made last February that was meant to bolster the Cavaliers’ bench offered mixed results. After averaging 19.0 points per game in 37 appearances for the Hawks to begin the 2024-25 season, his scoring decreased by nearly five points in Cleveland. Add in the size of Hunter’s contract, and the move makes sense for the Cavaliers financially while also adding point guard depth.

Back in the Cavaliers’ rotation after a two-game absence, Hunter’s 19 points were the most he’s scored in a game since December 22. The issue from a fantasy standpoint is that he offers little defensive value, lowering his ceiling considerably. With Evan Mobley (calf) out, the Cavaliers are going to need increased production from the entire rotation, including Hunter. He’s worth watching, but Wednesday’s performance doesn’t change much regarding Hunter’s value in standard leagues.

Hunter will return from a two-game absence on Wednesday as the Cavaliers take on the Lakers. The veteran forward has had a down season compared to the previous one, but is still a capable scorer off the bench. The Cavaliers are currently riding a four-game win streak, and with Hunter healthy, they should be in a stronger position to extend their run to five games.

Hunter has missed Cleveland’s last two games, but he is expected to return to take on Los Angeles. However, with Sam Merrill (illness) also probable, and Jaylon Tyson playing well, Hunter will likely continue to play a role off the bench that won’t be large enough for him to make an impact for fantasy managers.

Hunter will miss a second consecutive game as he deals with a sore right knee. Rookie Tyrese Proctor saw his playing time increase in Saturday’s win over Orlando, and that should be the case on Monday as well. However, he should only be rostered in dynasty leagues.

Hunter did not play in Saturday’s win over the Magic, with his absence factoring into rookie Tyrese Proctor picking up rotation minutes off the bench. Even if Hunter remains out, Proctor should only be rostered in dynasty leagues.

Hunter was a late addition to the Cavaliers’ injury report, and now he’s officially out. Cleveland’s bench rotation takes a hit, but this won’t significantly affect fantasy basketball. Nae’Qwan Tomlin may pick up a few more minutes, but there’s no need to stream him.