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Sacramento Kings sharpshooter Kevin Huerter, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in March and underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum, has been cleared for full contact with the 2024-25 NBA season right around the corner, according to Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee.
At this time, there is no clear timetable for when he will return to play, but this is certainly good news for Huerter and the Kings, with the new season set to begin in less than two weeks time.
Huerter, 26, sustained a dislocated left shoulder on March 18 against the Memphis Grizzlies after being fouled by Desmond Bane. Upon further imagining, it was revealed that Huerter would need to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery to repair his labrum.
In a total of 64 games last season, Huerter averaged 10.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting 36.1 percent from three-point range. This was the lowest three-point shooting percentage of Huerter's career, and his lowest scoring output since his rookie season.
Since being traded to the Kings from the Atlanta Hawks in 2022, Huerter has been a key shooting weapon on the wing. The Kings are hopeful that he will be able to return to full strength from this injury and once again be a shooting threat alongside All-Stars De'Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, and DeMar DeRozan.
Kevin Huerter's role with Kings
Huerter will spend the next few weeks ramping up his activities in order to return to the court for actual games. When this occurs, it is certainly not a given that he will be a start for the Kings.
Keon Ellis stepped up in a big way for the Kings near the end of the 2023-24 season, and many believe he will be the team's starting shooting guard to begin the new year due to his defensive tenacity and toughness. DeRozan and Keegan Murray will be occupying both forward spots with Sabonis as the team's starting center once again, which is why Huerter could realistically be eased back into action from his shoulder injury by coming off the bench.
This may not be the worst spot for Huerter, especially since teams always need to be aware of where he is on the perimeter. Coming off the bench, Huerter can provide the Kings with a spark, much like how Sixth Man of the Year candidate Malik Monk is instantly a source of scoring in the second unit.
As for how Mike Brown feels about getting Huerter back, the Kings head coach is excited just to get a clean bill of health for once regarding the talent on his roster.
“It will be great (to get Huerter back),” Brown said, via the Sacramento Bee. “We have a handful of guys that are out right now, so to get to a point where you have your whole team so you can evaluate it the right way is very exciting. Any news that you get that any of these guys, obviously starting with Kevin because we just got the news on Kevin, but any of these guys taking another step forward to getting back on the floor is exciting.”
The Kings will begin the 2024-25 NBA season at home on October 24 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
