The Kings' Biggest Question Mark Heading Into 2026-27 Season

As the offseason inches to an end, things are taking shape for the Sacramento Kings. Scott Perry may not have been able to offload veterans Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine, but they waived DeMar DeRozan and drafted the trio of Darius Acuff Jr, Alex Karaban, and Emanuel Sharp to rebuild the roster for the future.

Even with Sabonis and LaVine here, both seem to be a big part of the plan for the season as the vets try to reestablish their standing in the league and the Kings try to keep out of the basement and relegation zone. That doesn't leave a ton of big questions left for the offseason, but there is one decision looming with no clues to the direction Sacramento is going to go. What is the plan for De'Andre Hunter?

The Big Move

The only move the Kings made at the trade deadline last season was moving Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis to the Cleveland Cavaliers for De'Andre Hunter. It was a puzzling move at the time, but it made sense as Sacramento was able to quickly move off of Schroder's contract after the two sides quickly realized a future together wasn't in the cards.

It also gave them a true wing to pair with Keegan Murray, something they haven't been able to do since Murray and Harrison Barnes shared starting spots as the two forwards.

Unfortunately for the Kings, Hunter only suited up for two games in Sacramento, as his eye was scratched in his second game and forced him to miss the rest of the season. Hunter finished the season averaging 13.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.0 assists on 41.5% shooting from the field and 30.5% from three between his time in Cleveland and Sacramento.

De’Andre Hunter is getting active this summer👀 pic.twitter.com/XWxDnH6rKJ
— KingsMuse (@kings_muse) August 7, 2026

Those numbers don't jump off the page, but Hunter is 6-foot-7 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, and that size alone is enough to be excited about adding him to any number of Kings' rotations. Throw in his 40.5% shooting from deep in the 2024-25 season, and it's no wonder he was Perry's major acquisition from the deadline.

Multiple Options

Feb 6, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward De'andre Hunter (15) drives to the basket during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The question around Hunter comes up more when you look at his contract. He's on an expiring $24.9 million contract, which gives the Kings so many different options for how to move forward.

If everything goes well this season, the Kings could resign Hunter next offseason. He and Murray have the potential to be a perfect wing duo to pair with Acuff. Having both wing spots shored up for the foreseeable future would be a great start to the rebuild for Perry.

But if Hunter plays too well, it may be hard to ignore the fact that he could be the best asset they've had in years. Hunter has the potential to be a top target at the trade deadline and could fetch more than Sabonis and LaVine due to his reasonable contract and expiring deal. That could be too hard to ignore for the Kings if they can cash in at high value, especially given that Hunter is 28 and doesn't line up with their new timeline around Acuff.

Or there's always the option of just letting him play out his contract and taking advantage of his expiring deal. That $24.9 million with LaVine's $49 million expiring deal gives the Kings nearly a blank slate on their books that could help Perry reset everything in his third offseason.

There just haven't been any hints at how the front office or coaching staff feels about Hunter or his future with the team. It could be that even the Kings don't have a plan at this point and need to wait to see how everything shakes out. Either way, we'll have to wait and see, but Hunter and his future with the Kings will be a talking point all season until we get any resolution.

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