Sacramento Kings Injury Updates: Sabonis, Murray & more

Dec 18, 2024, 1:31 PM | Updated: 1:37 pm

Lead Editor & Kings Beat Writer

The Sacramento Kings have been ravaged by injuries to begin the 2024-25 season.

During Monday’s 130-129 loss to the Denver Nuggets, Sacramento was without several key rotation pieces as Keegan Murray (ankle), Kevin Huerter (shoulder), and Trey Lyles (calf) all sat out due to injuries.

As the Kings took the practice floor on Wednesday to prepare for Thursday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers, updates were provided on those three players as Sacramento (13-14) aims to get back to the .500 mark.

Per sources, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis did not participate in practice today. Their status for tomorrow will be determined later today.

Kevin Huerter was a partial participant, his status for tomorrow will be determined this afternoon.

Trey Lyles was a full participant…

— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) December 18, 2024

Sacramento Kings Injury Updates

Trey Lyles (right calf strain) was a full participant in practice, and the forward told the media that he feels ready to return to the floor for Thursday’s game against the Lakers.

Lyles, who has missed the past nine games, has been ramping up his on-court activities and is in a good spot to play against Los Angeles, but the training staff will make the final call before giving him the green light.

Kevin Huerter (left AC joint sprain) injured his left shoulder on Thursday in New Orleans, causing him to miss Monday’s game against Denver. The veteran guard was seen going through shooting drills on Wednesday, and a league source indicated that he was a partial participant in a non-contact practice.

Huerter is also trending in the right direction and could be an option for Sacramento on Thursday, but the training staff will conduct its post-practice evaluations before deciding on his availability.

Keegan Murray (left ankle soreness) was added to the injury report late on Monday before being ruled out for the first time this season. Murray did not participate in Wednesday’s practice, and his status will be determined prior to the Kings’ injury report, which will be released later in the evening.

Domantas Sabonis appeared to suffer a back injury during Monday’s loss to the Nuggets, but the All-NBA center remained on the floor for the rest of the game.

Sabonis was absent from Wednesday’s practice, and his status for Thursday is unclear. A league source said the three-time All-Star hopes to play against the Lakers, adding that his absence from the non-contact practice doesn’t mean it is certain that he will be unavailable against Los Angeles.

While Sabonis, who played in all 82 games last season and missed just two games the season prior–even while playing through an avulsion fracture in his left hand–is known for wanting to play through most ailments, we’ll have to see how the Kings list Sabonis on tonight’s injury report.

Devin Carter (left shoulder surgery) continues to make progress in his return from torn labrum surgery. Carter has been participating in on-court activities and is getting closer to being re-evaluated. Still on track to debut sometime in January.

More Kings coverage from Sactown Sports

Brenden Nunes, Chris Watkins, and Frankie Cartoscelli are back with another episode of the Return of the Roar Sacramento Kings podcast one day after their narrow 130-129 loss to the Denver Nuggets Monday night in Golden 1 Center.

Having won four of their last five games coming into the night, things seemed to be trending upward for the Kings. It was Malik Monk’s seventh game in the starting lineup, while Keegan Murray, Kevin Huerter, and Trey Lyles were unavailable due to injury.

Only about a week removed from head coach Mike Brown’s viral “possession after possession” rant, his larger point resurfaced against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets.

In this Return of the Roar episode, we discussed trends concerning Sacramento’s quarter-to-quarter inconsistencies. Given the nature of their roster construction, is this simply who they are?

During the recording, we became aware that De’Aaron Fox had some comments on his future with the Kings when joining The Draymond Green podcast. Is there a reason for long-term concern, or is it just a typical desire to win at the highest level?

When is the next Sacramento Kings game?

Sacramento will continue a five-game homestand on Thursday night in the first of two straight games against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Earlier this season on October 26th, the Kings fell short in Los Angeles, losing to the Lakers by a final of 131-127 as LeBron James took over in the fourth quarter (16 points, five rebounds, six assists in the period).

Be sure to catch all of the Kings vs. Lakers action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage starting at 2:00 PM PT on The Drive Guys before action tips off at 7:00 PM PT from downtown Sacramento.