With the only move made at the 2026 deadline, the Sacramento Kings traded for De'Andre Hunter. Keeping in mind he was injured shortly after that, it's still hard to see how he fits into the rebuilding roster. At some point, the Kings are going to have to take a serious look at Hunter.
It wasn't exactly a busy trade deadline for the Kings. Their only addition was Hunter, though Sacramento did manage to move Dennis Schroder, Keon Ellis, and Dario Saric. And that opened up space to sign Dylan Cardwell to a full contract. In the end, it was a big win for the Kings.
Well, assuming you ignore the injury. A game and a half into his Kings' tenure, Hunter sustained an eye injury that put him on the shelf for the rest of the season. That's not his fault, of course, as it was a complete accident. It was just a terrible situation for him and Sacramento.
Really, the 2026-2027 season will be the first time the coaching staff and the front office get a real look at Hunter and his fit with the team. The reality is that they have a limited window to work that out because this rebuild is on the verge of picking up some serious steam.
Hunter and the Kings might not work together
Even at the trade deadline, there were questions as to how Hunter would fit into the Kings' roster. To be fair, the roster was still in shambles at that point, and no one knew what the future looked like. Since then, the young guns have taken over and started to build a real identity for Sacramento.
That will continue this offseason. First, the Kings have to deal with their three picks in the upcoming draft. Then, they'll have to start looking at free agents, both the ones they're letting go and the ones they're signing. While all that's happening, Sacramento has big-money contracts they need to move.
Add all of that to what's already going on with the rebuild, and Hunter's place on this roster becomes even more murky. Realistically, he needs to get off to a great start this year to show the franchise they need him. If not, he could be looking at a trade deadline move for the second year in a row.
Keep in mind that Hunter wasn't playing well for the Cavaliers before the trade. The hope was that a change in scenery would help reinvigorate his game. Obviously, the Kings didn't get a real read on that before the injury, so the first few months of 2026-2027 may be the most important of his career.
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