Man, how quickly the tables can turn? Just the other day, we were discussing how our conference foe, the Memphis Grizzlies, were dealing with some unfortunate injuries. And now, it seems like we have our own problems to worry about.
Kevin Huerter getting closer to his return
We may as well start with the good news. As many of you know, sharpshooter Kevin Huerter had his season cut short last year because of a left shoulder injury. However, recent reports and social media posts suggest that Huerter has been recovering nicely. That includes this set of photos that suggests Huerter may be bulking up to spend more minutes at small forward.
Is it me, or does it look like Kevin Huerter put on some weight to play more SF? pic.twitter.com/qKC0ZCSYLc
— Brett W. Huff (@bretthuff22) September 20, 2024
Getting Huerter back in time for the start of next season will be huge, as Huerter's shooting and spacing make him an important role player for the Kings' offense. Unfortunately, his return comes with the loss of two bench pieces.
Trey Lyles and Jordan McLaughlin will miss some time
On Friday, the Kings gave us a nightmare of an injury update. According to the team, Trey Lyles and Jordan McLaughlin (one of our new members of the team) both suffered injuries during offseason training.
Double dose of bad news from the Sacramento Kings.
— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) September 27, 2024
Both Trey Lyles and Jordan McLaughlin suffered injuries in offseason workouts and will miss the first few weeks of training camp. pic.twitter.com/ayfoRlIWM8
Lyles suffered a left groin injury. He will be re-evaluated in three weeks. Meanwhile, McLaughlin suffered a grade 2 right ankle sprain, and he will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
Keep in mind, when an injury report says that a player is being "re-evaluated in X weeks," that is almost always never when they will return. Usually, you can tack on at least another week or two (sometimes even more) after the re-evaluation date before that player actually returns.
At the end of the day, Huerter is still the most valuable player of these three. So, getting him back is huge. With that said, Lyles will certainly be missed. Lyles' blend of size and skill is something the Kings desperately need, as he is one of only three players in the Kings' top 8 to stand at over 6'8 (the other two are Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray).
The Kings are a more guard-heavy team. So, normally, a loss like McLaughlin wouldn't be too intense. But with Devin Carter set to miss most (if not all) of the 2024-25 season, the potential loss of McLaughlin for any stretch hurts more than it normally would.
Hopefully, the Kings are just getting all their injuries out of the way before the season, and that they can remain healthy when the games begin to actually count.