SACRAMENTO, February 16, 2026 – Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine will undergo season-ending surgery on his right hand, effectively ending his second season with the team, longtime NBA insider Chris Haynes reported Friday. The news is a significant blow to a Kings team already struggling with injuries and a lengthy losing streak.
Kings’ LaVine Faces Season-Ending Surgery
The two-time All-Star’s surgery comes as Sacramento battles a dismal record and a wave of health concerns.
- LaVine, averaging a team-leading 19.2 points per game, sustained a right fifth finger tendon injury.
- The Kings are currently NBA-worst with a 12-44 record and are on a 14-game losing streak.
- Center Domantas Sabonis also faced a significant injury earlier in the season, missing time with a partially torn meniscus.
- LaVine has a $48.9 million player option for next season and is expected to exercise it.
LaVine, who was averaging 19.2 points per game and shooting 47.9% from the field, including 39% from three-point range, sustained the injury to his shooting hand. He sat out the past three games with what the team described as a “right fifth finger tendon injury.”
What impact will LaVine’s absence have on the Kings? His departure further depletes an already thin Kings roster and casts further doubt on their ability to turn around their season. The team has been riddled with injuries, with center Domantas Sabonis missing extensive time earlier in the 2025-26 campaign due to a partially torn meniscus.
The Kings, currently holding the NBA’s worst record at 12-44 and losers of 14 consecutive games, opted not to make any significant trades at the trade deadline. General manager Scott Perry sent Keon Ellis and Dennis Schröder to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team trade that brought back De’Andre Hunter and moved Dario Šarić to the Chicago Bulls. Šarić was subsequently traded again and waived.
LaVine joined the Kings mid-season last year in a three-team deal that sent De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs. Despite leading the team in scoring, LaVine’s 2.3 assists per game were the fewest of his career, and he was averaging under three rebounds per contest for just the third time, and the first time since the 2015-16 season.
Did you know? Friday, February 16th, marked the 10-year anniversary of LaVine’s memorable high-flying showdown versus Aaron Gordon in the 2016 dunk contest.
Before his latest injury, LaVine sustained a left ankle injury on December 14 when he landed awkwardly during a drive against his former team, the Minnesota Timberwolves, resulting in him missing nine consecutive games. He has a $48.9 million player option for next season and is expected to pick it up, though trade rumors are likely to resurface in the offseason.
A three-time All-Star, LaVine first gained prominence as a two-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion with the Timberwolves, who drafted him No. 13 overall in 2014.
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