Sean Cunningham of NBC Sacramento has confirmed the news.
Hunter, the only acquisition Sacramento made before the trade deadline, suffered an eye injury in his second game. He has missed the last three games before the All-Star break due to left eye iritis (inflammation of the iris).
The 28-year-old appeared ready to return after the break, fully participating in Wednesday’s practice. However, he missed Thursday’s game against Orlando, which marked Sacramento’s 15th consecutive loss, and he will now miss the final 25 games of the season.
Hunter is the third high-salaried player on the Kings to be sidelined for the rest of the season, joining Domantas Sabonis (knee surgery) and Zach LaVine (hand surgery). The Kings currently hold a record of 12-45, the worst in the NBA.
Drafted fourth overall in 2019, Hunter spent his first five-and-a-half seasons with Atlanta before being traded to Cleveland last year. He performed well with the Cavs at the end of the 2024-25 season but struggled with his shooting this season, which led to his trade to the Kings earlier this month in a three-team deal that included Cleveland acquiring Keon Ellis and Dennis Schröder.
This season, Hunter has participated in 45 games, averaging 13.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 26.1 minutes per game. His shooting percentage is .415 for field goals, .305 for three-pointers, and .867 for free throws.
Hunter has a salary of $23.3 million this season and is under contract through the 2026-27 season. He will earn $24.9 million next season before hitting free agency.
According to cap expert Yossi Gozlan, the Kings will soon qualify for a hardship exception with Hunter, Sabonis, LaVine, and Dylan Cardwell (who has a left ankle sprain) all out for an extended period. They also have a standard roster spot open and a two-way vacancy after promoting Cardwell.