The Sacramento Kings finally picked up their second win of the season on Saturday by beating Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on the road, moving to 2-4 through six games.
Now, the Kings face another tough test on Monday night as they take on Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, but they are at risk of being shorthanded. The Kings have listed several key players on their injury report for Monday’s matchup in Denver, including three starters.
Oct 26, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine (8) reacts after scoring against the Los Angeles Lakers during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images / Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
The Kings have already ruled out Malik Monk (personal), Keegan Murray (left thumb), and Isaiah Stevens (G League) for Monday’s game, while listing Zach LaVine (lower back), Dennis Schroder (right hip), and Devin Carter (right knee) as questionable.
Of course, missing both Murray and Monk is already bad enough for the Kings, but if they have to play without LaVine or Schroder, or potentially both, they could be in serious trouble.
LaVine, especially, has been carrying Sacramento’s offense through six games. So far this season, LaVine is averaging 29.5 points per game with 53.0/40.0/94.3 shooting splits, dropping 30+ points in five of their six games. It would be interesting to see how the Kings’ offense operates without LaVine, but it would not be far from ideal to test that out against the Nuggets.
Jan 23, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) defends on Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) in the first quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Similar to the Kings, the Nuggets are in jeopardy of missing a couple of key players, but their injury report is much more optimistic. The Nuggets have listed Jamal Murray (left calf) and Cam Johnson (right shoulder) as probable, while ruling out Tamar Bates, DaRon Holmes II, and Curtis Jones with G League assignments.
Of course, the Nuggets are expected to have both Murray and Johnson available in time for Monday’s game. Murray is in a similar situation as LaVine, as he has been on a tear to start his 2025-26 campaign, and Denver’s offense could be in some trouble if he had to miss the contest. However, what the Kings do not have is a three-time MVP like Nikola Jokic.
The Kings and Nuggets are set to face off in Denver at 6:00 p.m. PT on Monday.
