Kings begin season on the road against the Suns without Sabonis

The Sacramento Kings will open their 2025-26 season on the road Tuesday against the Phoenix Suns without All-Star center Domantas Sabonis, who was ruled out after suffering a grade 1 hamstring strain in a preseason game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Team medical staff expect the injury to require roughly one to two weeks of recovery, placing Sabonis on the shelf for the season opener at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix.

Sabonis’s absence deprives the Kings of their primary interior scorer and playmaker just as the roster attempts to establish cohesion. The 28-year-old center has been central to Sacramento’s offense, logging heavy usage as a passer and pick-and-roll hub. Without him, head coach Doug Christie will need to reconfigure rotations and offensive sets, increasing responsibility for guards DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine and the recently signed veteran Russell Westbrook. DeRozan has pressed the team to use external doubt as motivation and welcomed Westbrook’s arrival, saying the addition "is a guy who can help us in many ways."

The Kings face additional early-season absences. Forward Keegan Murray is sidelined with a thumb injury and will miss time while he...