Kings' LaVine Faces Season-Ending Hand Surgery

Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine will undergo season-ending surgery on his right hand after the NBA All-Star break, dealing another blow to a franchise mired in one of its worst seasons. The 30-year-old, who has led the team in scoring, appeared in just 39 games this year before the injury sidelined him, according to league sources.

LaVine's procedure addresses a right fifth finger tendon injury that initially surfaced as pinky soreness and worsened over the past three games. He missed the Kings' most recent matchups, including a loss to the Utah Jazz, where the team described it as a tendon issue. This marks the latest in a string of ailments for LaVine, who also sat out 17 games due to lower back soreness, a right thigh contusion, right thumb soreness, and a left ankle sprain. His season averages of 19.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game represent career lows in rebounding and assisting, with field goal shooting at 47.9 percent and three-point accuracy at 39 percent. Despite early highlights, including a season-high 42 points against the Miami Heat on December 6 and five games with 30 or more points in the first six contests, his performance dipped amid...