Kings' Kevin Huerter Receives Unfavorable Status Update

The Kings could be without their starting shooting guard for the remainder of the season.

Memphis Grizzlies v Sacramento Kings / Lachlan Cunningham/GettyImages

With the regular season winding down, the Sacramento Kings have hit a roadblock of unlucky injuries. Trey Lyles suffered an MCL sprain, Sasha Vezenkov is recovering from an ankle sprain, and starting shooting guard Kevin Huerter dislocated his shoulder, putting him out indefinitely. While Sacramento is fighting for playoff position, their most important battle down the stretch will be staying healthy.

Huerter injured his shoulder against the Memphis Grizzlies a week ago, and his expected timetable is not in his favor. Per Grant Afseth of NBA Analysis Network, Huerter is likely done for the remainder of the 2023-24 season, even if the Kings make a playoff run.

Despite having a down year, Huerter has been vital to Sacramento's offense since the start of the 2022-23 season. The 25-year-old guard averaged 10.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game on 44.3/36.1/76.6 shooting splits, but shined as one of the league's premier three-point threats last season.

With Huerter expected to be sidelined for the rest of the season, the Kings must get their rotation ready for the playoffs. While Huerter damages Sacramento's perimeter shooting, the emergence of Keon Ellis in his place has been extraordinary, giving the Kings a gear on defense they lacked prior.

Mike Brown seems to have figured out the bench rotation, centered around Davion Mitchell, Malik Monk, Alex Len, and Chris Duarte, yet this is due to change when Vezenkov and Lyles return to the lineup.

The Kings have 12 games over the next 20 days to close out the season, including three back-to-back series. With the depth already taking a hit recently, the Kings cannot afford any more injuries ahead of the playoffs. While every win matters for the rest of the season, the Kings must also keep in mind that health is their main priority, and going into the playoffs unrested is not ideal.

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