SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings had a chance to welcome newly acquired forward De’Andre Hunter to California’s capital during their Tuesday practice following a Jan. 31 trade which sent Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Hunter, 28, was acquired in the trade to be a potential piece for the Kings’ future as general manger Scott Perry retools the roster with aspirations of establishing a winning culture.
Hunter, who will make $23.3 million this season as part of a four-year $90 million rookie contract extension he signed with the Hawks in 2022, expressed his excitement to get going in Sacramento and becoming acclimated with his new team.
‘It’s good energy here,’ Hunter told reporters after his first Kings practice. ‘A lot of great coaches that have a lot of experience in the league. Very experienced players who have been here in the league for a while, I’m just excited for a new opportunity.’
Hunter, a 6-foot-7, 221-pound swingman, is averaging 14 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 26.2 minutes per game so far during the 2025-26 regular-season.
Through 43 games, Hunter has shot the ball at a 42.3% rate on field goals. He shoots 30.8% from deep and is a solid free throw shooter at 86.9%.
Defensively, he averages 0.7 blocks and 0.1 steals per game.
Hunter told USA TODAY Sports what he intends to bring to the Kings as he becomes engulfed in the basketball culture in Sacramento.
‘Just versatility, on both ends,’ Hunter said. ‘A guy that plays hard, a guy that’s gong to do what the team needs. I feel like that’s kind of what everyone says but night in, night out I’m going to give my best effort.’
Hunter’s versatility will allow the Kings to play him at the three (small forward) or experiment playing him at the four (power forward).
For Hunter, it’s nothing new.
‘I don’t think there’s much difference in the league right now,’ he said. ‘A lot the threes play four when guys go small, teams go small. I don’t see much of a difference, but I’m very comfortable playing both, I’ve been doing it for the past four or five years. It’s not really difficult to adjust to.’
He’s most likely going to play alongside Kings forward Keegan Murray.
The team announced Tuesday that Murray is progressing in his rehabilitation of a moderate left ankle sprain he suffered in their loss against the Milwaukee Bucks on Jan. 4.
‘Murray has been approved for on-court contact activities. He will be reevaluated in two weeks,’ the Kings said in a news release.
Hunter anticipates playing with Murray because their abilities to do some of the same things on the floor.
‘Playing with a guy like Keegan, he’s another versatile guy who can defend, who can shoot, who can score. I think it’ll be fun,’ Hunter said. ‘Definitely (exciting). Like I said, he’s another guy with size, another guy that guard one through four. As a guy that could do that, it’s always good to see another dude on the court that can help you out when you’re a little tired.’
Kings head coach Doug Christie was all smiles when discussing the acquisition of Hunter.
‘Super excited man,’ Christie told reporters. ‘The weather didn’t allow us to practice on the road, but got up and down a little bit. Watching him on the defensive end makes me smile. Elite length, athleticism, knowing that he can stretch the floor and shoot the three-ball, has midrange, like just a really, really good player. A smart player, very heady, as far as the communication. We’ll get him in a game, [I’m] excited to see him get out there.’
Christie, too, envisions a lineup that will feature both Hunter and Murray, when he’s back from injury. When asked about the possibility, he grinned from cheek-to-cheek.
‘Both of their size and athleticism allows you to you to guard across the board,’ Christie said. ‘They can switch if there’s a matchup that you like more. But definitely, his size and his ability to guard can keep Keegan at the three.’
He added: ‘I’m just excited to see them. When you think about it, you have two long wings, both of them can shoot the basketball, both of them can guard pretty much one through five, rebounding, cutting, midrange and they both play the right way, for the right reasons. They are team players. They’re going to move the basketball, move their body when we talk about next actions, when we talk about crashing [for rebounds] all of the little things that equate to winning, both of them do so really excited to see them out there together.’
Hunter said that he hadn’t had many interactions with Perry, Kings general manager, but was told by Perry that he had him on his radar for many years and that Perry ‘sees potential’ in him.
‘He knows a few people that I know. I heard through the grapevine what kind of guy he is and vice versa. I think that played a huge part in me coming here. I’m excited to get to know the guys and get acclimated to the city,’ Hunter said. ‘It was more so just talking about how he previously wanted me. In previous years but we at a different team so he couldn’t make it happen but he was just really glad that he could make this happen. He sees potential in me, he knows the things I can do, just looking to do that.’
Hunter is ready to work and provide a spark for Kings basketball. No one is asking more of Hunter than himself.
‘I have my own expectations,’ he said. ‘I feel like my own expectations are higher than what anyone else expects of me. I just try to hold myself to a standard.’
As far his new city and getting used to his surroundings, Hunter looks forward to seeing what Sacramento has to offer.
‘I never did much here honestly, so I don’t really know about the city,’ Hunter said about his knowledge of Sacramento as a visiting player. ‘I usually stay in the hotel because we usually come here on a long west coast trip. I’m excited to get out there and probably get some recommendations from some people on what to do and where to eat and stuff.’