Another serious injury strikes Sacramento Kings. Here’s what we know so far
The Sacramento Kings are dealing with another major injury after backup center Drew Eubanks was diagnosed with an avulsion fracture to his left thumb.
Eubanks has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Minesota Timberwolves at Target Center in Minneapolis. The Kings have not specified a course of treatment or a timetable for his recovery, but he is expected to be reevaluated in three weeks.
Eubanks went to the locker room with members of the team’s medical staff after suffering the injury late in the first quarter of Thursday’s 136-105 loss to the Denver Nuggets at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. The Kings later announced Eubanks would not return.
An avulsion fracture occurs when a piece of bone attached to a ligament or tendon breaks away from the main part of the bone. Most avulsion fractures will heal within 12 weeks with rest, ice, compression and elevation, but sometimes surgery is required.
Kings center Domantas Sabonis suffered an avulsion fracture in his right thumb in December 2022. Sabonis missed only one game before returning with a protective brace to lead the Kings to the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, ending the longest playoff drought in NBA history.
The Kings (6-19) have been besieged by injuries over the first 25 games of the season. Sabonis, Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, Malik Monk, Dennis Schroder and Nique Clifford have missed a total of 46 games due to injuries.
Sabonis is sidelined by a partially torn meniscus in his left knee after missing games with a right hamstring strain, left ribcage contusion and left knee soreness. Murray missed the first 15 games of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb.
Schroder, who was acquired over the summer in a sign-and-trade deal with the Detroit Pistons, has been ruled out for Sunday’s contest after missing the past seven games with a right hip flexor strain.
With Eubanks joining Sabonis on the injured list, the Kings are left with rookie second-round draft pick Maxime Raynaud as the only center on the active roster. Raynaud has started the last three games, averaging 13.3 points and 9.0 rebounds while shooting 56.3% from the field and 33.3% from 3-point range.
Sabonis is expected to be reevaluated in the coming days as he nears a return from the meniscus injury. In the meantime, the Kings could turn to veteran forward Dario Saric or undrafted rookie two-way player Dylan Cardwell for backup minutes at the center spot.
This story was originally published December 13, 2025 at 4:42 PM.
