The Sacramento Kings have started their 2026-27 season with six consecutive losses, going winless in all of October, including their 0-5 preseason slate. As the league's only team left without a win, the Kings are desperate to finally tally a victory, and their next chance comes against the Dallas Mavericks to round out a four-game road trip.

The Mavericks, despite being only four wins better than the Kings last season, are already heading in a much different direction. The Mavericks are 4-2 in the new season, led by phenom Cooper Flagg. This will certainly be a battle of the young studs, as Darius Acuff Jr. has been taking the league by storm, but the Kings might need a miracle to pull out a win in Dallas.

Both teams are dealing with key injuries heading into Monday night's matchup, making this meeting even more interesting.

Kings injury report

The Kings have already had poor injury luck this season, as they have yet to see their team at full strength, but those excuses will get old fast. The Kings need to prove they can win with any group, but they will continue to be shorthanded against the Mavericks. For Monday's game, though, Zach LaVine has an injury designation for the first time this season. Sacramento's full injury report:

Zach LaVine - QUESTIONABLE (right elbow inflammation/soreness)

Dylan Cardwell - QUESTIONABLE (left calf strain)

Keegan Murray - OUT (left ankle capsulitis)

Maxime Raynaud - OUT (right patella subluxation)

Ben Simmons - OUT (right Achilles tendon repair/surgery)

LaVine's status is obviously the one to monitor heading into Monday's game, as the starting guard is one of the team's premier scorers, but some fans are likely ready to see what this group can do without him. At this point, LaVine is widely viewed as a negative asset, with many fans believing he hurts the team more than helps it.

Obviously, this is a minuscule sample size, but you don't really need data to tell you that Zach Lavine and Darius Acuff should rarely share the floor.

Currently, the pair share the floor for ~60% of the Kings' minutes. pic.twitter.com/hjkfH4zRS6

— Jack Dann (@JackBDann) October 28, 2026

Seeing Acuff Jr. alongside a different guard in the starting lineup, like Emanuel Sharp or Nique Clifford, could make Monday's game even more intriguing.

Another status to monitor ahead of Monday's matchup is Dylan Cardwell's, as he has missed each of the Kings' first six games, and this is his first time being upgraded from "out" to "questionable." The Kings could certainly use his presence against Dallas and moving forward, so we can hope he is ready to make his season debut.

Mavericks injury report

While they still have obvious advantages over this winless Kings team, a couple of key injuries could make life easier for Sacramento on Monday night. The Mavericks have added Kyrie Irving to their injury report against the Kings. Their full injury report:

Kyrie Irving - QUESTIONABLE (left knee injury management)

Santi Aldama - DOUBTFUL (right knee surgery)

Tarik Biberovic - OUT (right heel bursitis)

Sergio de Larrea - OUT (right knee sprain)

Dereck Lively II - OUT (right surgery)

As usual, Irving has been great for the Mavericks this season as their second-leading scorer behind Flagg, and their offense could be in a bit of trouble if he has to miss Monday's game. They still have reliable players to lean on, but Irving's potential absence could give the Kings the break they need.

We will certainly be keeping a close eye on Irving, LaVine, and Cardwell leading up to Monday's tip-off, especially as the Kings look for any advantage to pick up their first win of the season.

The Kings and Mavericks are set to tip off at 5:00 p.m. PT in Dallas.