The Los Angeles Lakers may be without up to five players for Sunday’s road matchup against Pacific Division rivals the Sacramento Kings.
But the Kings, for their part, could also be ailing. Both clubs are looking to move above their current 1-1 records.
Recently-extended Sacramento power forward Keegan Murray is slated to miss at least four-to-six weeks of action, possibly more, while recovering from a left thumb ulnar collateral ligament tear that required surgery.
But Murray isn’t the only guaranteed Kings absence on Sunday.
According to the NBA’s most recent injury report, Nique Clifford will sit out with a right hamstring strain. The Kings brought in the 6-foot-5 rookie swingman out of Colorado, 23, using the No. 24 pick in this summer’s 2025 NBA Draft. He suited up for 24 minutes in Sacramento’s season opener before incurring the ailment. An MRI confirmed the hamstring issue, and he is set to miss at least the next week before getting reassessed.
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More critical than either Murray or Clifford, however, is the ambiguous status of former two-time Slam Dunk Contest champion shooting guard Zach LaVine. The 6-foot-5 UCLA product has been listed as questionable to play thanks to a vaguely defined illness.
The 30-year-old is off to a hot start this season, averaging 30.5 points on .548/.316/.900 shooting splits, 2.0 boards, 1.0 dimes and 0.5 blocks through two games.
On the Lakers side, neither 21-time All-NBA superstar power forward LeBron James (right side sciatica), power forward/center Maxi Kleber (abdominal muscle strain), nor rookie former Arkansas Razorbacks forward Adou Thiero (left knee surgery) will be making their season debuts on Sunday night in the state capitol.
But what could really impede the Lakers’ chances of success against a defense-free Kings club is another, more recently revealed possible absence.
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Five-time All-NBA First Team guard Luka Doncic has been downgraded to questionable to play with a left finger sprain he suffered midway through the second quarter of his triumphant 49-point scoring effort against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.
Another backup center, Jaxson Hayes, has been upgraded to questionable. He missed the Lakers’ 128-110 blowout over Minnesota with a sore left knee.
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