De'Andre Hunter has been cleared, the Sacramento Kings' injury report showed Monday, moving off the day-to-day tag he carried since Sept. 6. He is now available with no restriction as the Kings prepare to open the 2026-27 season.
What happened
The Kings' injury report listed De'Andre Hunter as cleared as of Monday, Sept. 28 at 2:20 p.m. ET, ending a day-to-day designation. He first appeared on the report Sunday, Sept. 6, listed day-to-day with an eye, head and left-side issue. No further detail was given for either the original listing or Monday's clearance, and the report carried no additional comment. Hunter, 28, plays forward-guard for Sacramento.
What it means for the Kings
Sacramento opens its season at home against the Lakers on Monday, Oct. 5 at 10:00 p.m. ET, and Hunter's clearance means he is available for it. Last season he averaged 13.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 26.1 minutes across 45 games. The Kings have not played a regular-season game yet in 2026-27, so their record stands at 0-0. In games this preseason when Hunter was sidelined, Sacramento's minutes leaned on Keegan Murray (34.5 minutes, 14.0 points), Zach LaVine (31.4 minutes, 19.2 points) and DeMar DeRozan (31.2 minutes, 18.4 points).
What to watch
No return timeline was needed since Hunter has been cleared outright, and no expected-return date was announced at any point in this stretch. The next injury report will show whether the clearance holds as the Kings approach their opener against the Lakers on Oct. 5. Beyond that game, how the rotation shakes out with Hunter back among Murray, LaVine and DeRozan will be the thing to track.
Is De'Andre Hunter playing vs Lakers?
He is cleared as of Monday, Sept. 28, with no restriction reported, so he is expected to be available for the Kings' season opener against the Lakers on Oct. 5.
When will De'Andre Hunter be back?
He is already back. The Kings' injury report moved him from day-to-day to cleared on Sept. 28, and no return date was needed.