Have the Kings Had the Worst Injury Luck of Any NBA Team This Season?

Injuries are a part of every NBA season, but some years they hit certain teams harder than others. That question feels especially relevant when looking at the Sacramento Kings and the adversity they have faced. Have the Kings had the worst injury luck of any team this season?

While other teams around the league have certainly dealt with absences, Sacramento’s situation stands out for both the volume of injuries and the timing. From established stars to young building blocks, it seems like no segment of the roster has been spared.

Keegan Murray

Keegan Murray this season:

Torn Left Thumb UCL (needed surgery)
Back injury
Calf injury
Ankle injury
Ankle injury again
— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) February 26, 2026

The most glaring example has been Keegan Murray. Just fresh off signing his extension, Murray has endured a string of unlucky ankle injuries that have derailed what many expected to be a leap season. None of the setbacks were routine bumps and bruises; they were awkward, momentum-killing twists that kept reoccurring just as he was finding rhythm.

For a player expected to anchor both ends of the floor, that instability has been crushing. The Kings envisioned Murray as a durable two-way pillar, but rehab timelines and cautious returns have instead defined this year.

The other stars

The Kings have announced that 3 of their starters will be having season-ending surgeries.

Zach Lavine (pinky finger)
Domantas Sabonis (knee)
De’Andre Hunter (eye)
— Ball Bound (@BallBoundIG) February 20, 2026

It hasn’t stopped there. Zach LaVine has missed significant time, removing a major scoring threat from the lineup and forcing constant offensive adjustments. Domantas Sabonis has also been sidelined, stripping the team of its interior hub and emotional engine.

When your All-Star caliber center and one of your top perimeter scorers are out simultaneously, continuity becomes nearly impossible. Add in rookie standout Dylan Cardwell suffering his own ankle injury that will keep him out for an extended stretch, and the pattern becomes hard to ignore.

Perhaps the most telling stat of all is this: the Kings are the only team in the league that has not had their projected starting five available all season. That lack of lineup consistency can stunt chemistry, defensive communication, and late-game execution. Even when factoring in that Sacramento has leaned into a youth movement and draft positioning at times, the sheer number of unavailable players stands out.

It is one thing to prioritize development; it is another to be unable to evaluate your intended core because they simply haven’t shared the floor. The revolving door of absences has made it difficult to assess what this group could be at full strength.

In the end, injury luck can shape a season as much as talent or coaching. For the Kings, this year has felt less about evaluating progress and more about surviving attrition. Between Murray’s bizarre run of ankle issues, extended absences from LaVine and Sabonis, and Cardwell’s setback, Sacramento has rarely had a fair opportunity to build momentum.

While every franchise deals with setbacks, few can match the Kings’ combination of timing, repetition, and impact. If health ever stabilizes, the narrative could quickly change, but until then, it is fair to argue that no team has had worse injury luck than Sacramento this season.