Kings' Backup Center Out for Remainder of Season After Surgery

The Sacramento Kings' injury updates continue, as backup center Drew Eubanks joined the list of players set to miss the remainder of the season following successful surgery to repair a torn UCL in his left thumb.

Drew Eubanks medical update- he underwent surgery on his left thumb and is out for the remainder of the season: pic.twitter.com/RNJ9wHrmu7
— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) March 18, 2026

He joins Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, and De'Andre Hunter as players out for the rest of the year. Eubanks doesn't have the big-name cache that the others on the list have, but for a Kings team dealing with a seemingly never-ending carousel of injuries, it's a key loss for the rest of the year from a pure depth perspective.

That will leave all of the center duties to Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell, which was already the case, but if one of them gets hurt, Doug Christie will have to get creative to fill the center minutes.

Eubanks hasn't played a ton this season, suiting up in 42 games this year, but when he has gotten on the court, he's been a decent player for the Kings. He averaged 5.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks in 13.1 minutes per game. The numbers don't jump off the page, but he was a solid rotational player in his eighth season.

The problem for the Kings was that they needed much more than a solid rotation player or two this season. With a roster full of issues, Eubanks playing well was like putting a Band-Aid on a broken bone.

One-and-Done?

Mar 5, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward-center Drew Eubanks (19) catches the ball against the New Orleans Pelicans during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

Eubanks is set to hit unrestricted free agency, meaning he could very well have played his last game in a Kings jersey. Not only have Raynaud and Cardwell seemingly cemented themselves in the Kings rotation going forward, but there's also the potential return of Domantas Sabonis.

Sacramento could revisit a trade with the Toronto Raptors for Sabonis or look to move him to another team this offseason after the strong play of both rookie bigs. But either way, it feels like Eubanks is redundant on the roster.

But at the same time, all indications are that the locker room in Sacramento has been positive this season, and if Eubanks is part of that great chemistry, they could look to bring back the veteran in a similar 'break glass in case of emergency' type of role for next season.

While he's not going to steal headlines, Eubanks still fits the style that Doug Christie is looking to play. He gets out in transition, is a solid defender, and can create for others more than he gets credit for. That could be a tipping point between an end-of-the-bench big during the offseason.

But regardless of the future of Eubanks, the Kings will once again be shorthanded as they get back on the court on Thursday against the Philadelphia 76ers.