The Sacramento Kings have dealt with unavailabilities due to injury all season long, but now they’ll be without Dennis Schroder as result of a three-game suspension.
First reported by Chris Haynes, NBA Insider for NBA on Prime and NBA TV, Schroder “has been suspended three games without pay for confronting and attempting to strike another player.”
Haynes later added that the other player was Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic following their December 28th matchup in Cypto.com Arena.
Schroder responded to an instagram post, laughing at the wording “attempted,” insinuating that he landed the blow. Shams Charania added that the altercation took place 40 minutes after Sacramento’s 125-101 loss.
Dennis Schroder comment under Shams IG post saying he was suspended for attempting to strike a player 👀
“Attempting 👀 🤣” pic.twitter.com/0oNwsV7vUi
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) January 11, 2026
In the second-half of their showdown two weeks ago, Doncic and Schroder had a back-and-forth. The two have had plenty of battles in both the NBA and EuroBasket as the respective leaders of Germany and Slovenia.
Doncic mentioned the four-year, $82 million contract offer that Schroder turned down from the Lakers in 2021 only to later sign a one, year nearly $6 million deal with the Boston Celtics. He’s also played for eight teams in the five years since that moment.
ESPN’s Anthony Slater added clarity and context to the moment that led to a three game suspension.
Forty minutes after the buzzer, Schroder went after Doncic, telling Doncic that he can’t call him a “b—-” on the court and pretend everything is fine off the court. The NBA concluded that Schroder attempted to strike Doncic.
Lakers center Deandre Ayton tried to drag away Schroder from the confrontation while a stunned Doncic attempted to exit as security intervened.
Schroder was eventually escorted to the team bus as Kings coach Doug Christie and several teammates sought answers about the sudden drama.
Ironically, or perhaps not by coincidence, Sacramento’s next three games include a matchup against Doncic and Los Angeles. He’ll be unavailable against the Rockets, Lakers, and Knicks.
Playing in his first season with the Kings after signing a three-year, $45 million deal this offseason, Schroder has averaged 13 points, 5.7 assists, and 3.3 rebounds on 41.3 shooting from the field and 34.4 percent from three.
After starting in the first 12 games, he’s since moved to a reserve role in favor of veteran Russell Westbrook. The 32 year old has played well off the bench, leading a often younger second unit.
In his absence, Sacramento head coach Doug Christie could lean on Malik Monk, who’s played an inconsistent role recently, or potentially second-year guard Devin Carter.
A few games into the season, Christie said his team may lose some games, but that they wouldn’t often win the fight. Not sure if Schroder’s altercation with Doncic fits the bill, but being without him for three games certainly isn’t ideal for the Kings.
More Sacramento Kings coverage on Sactown Sports
If the Sacramento Kings end up with a top-three pick in this summer’s 2026 NBA Draft, they will likely end up with one of Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson, or AJ Dybantsa.
Although the NBA season has yet to reach the midway point, it isn’t too early for the Kings (8-30) to set their sights on May’s NBA Draft lottery, which will provide clarity on whether they will be in position to select a franchise-altering talent.
Those three that were previously listed–Duke’s Boozer, Kansas’ Peterson, and BYU’s Dybantsa–are widely viewed as the top-three prospects for the 2026 Draft Class.
Read More:
George: Sacramento Kings ‘love’ BYU star AJ Dybantsa
Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season
Sunday, January 11th – vs. Houston Rockets – 6:00 PM PT
Monday, January 12th – vs. Los Angeles Lakers – 7:00 PM PT
Wednesday, January 14th – vs. New York Knicks – 7:00 PM PT
Friday, January 16th – vs. Washington Wizards – 7:00 PM PT
Sunday, January 18th – vs. Portland Trail Blazers – 6:00 PM PT
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