The Sacramento Kings will have to manage the absence of a crucial offensive player as they progress through the final stages of the 2023-24 NBA season.

With only ten regular season games remaining, the Kings will have to cope without shooting guard Kevin Huerter for the rest of the campaign.

The 25-year-old sharpshooter will undergo season-ending surgery on his left shoulder to repair a torn labrum, his agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports told league insider Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Despite this setback, the former Maryland player is anticipated to fully recover and be ready for the beginning of the 2024-2025 NBA season.

The Kings' position in the standings has continued to slide. They now occupy the eighth seed in the fiercely competitive Western Conference after starting the week in sixth place, with the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns overtaking them.

They find themselves in precarious play-in territory. However, they have an opportunity to reverse their fortunes and regain momentum when they face the sixth-seeded Mavericks at home in the Golden 1 Center on Friday, March 29.

Kevin Huerter's numbers have dropped in 2023-24

Huerter's statistics have declined this season, in contrast to his career highs in 2022-23.

Nonetheless, he has maintained a respectable average of 10.2 points per game, shooting 44.3 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from the three-point range.

Additionally, he has contributed 3.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game across 64 appearances while playing 24.4 minutes per contest this season.