Mike Brown has entered the NBA's health and safety protocols and will be out for Tuesday's game for the Sacramento Kings against the Denver Nuggets.

Jordi Fernandez will serve as head coach in the absence of Brown.

Domantas Sabonis was diagnosed with an avulsion fracture of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb, the Sacramento Kings announced on Monday.

Sabonis is questionable for Tuesday's game against the Nuggets.

The injury is on Sabonis' non-shooting hand.

Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis suffered a right hand injury during the team's loss on Friday to the Washington Wizards. The full extent of the injury and how much time Sabonis might miss isn't known yet.

Sabonis had an x-ray and will undergo further evaluation to determine if the injury is something he can play through. Pain tolerance will also determine if Sabonis is able to play though the injury.

In his first full season with the Kings, Sabonis has averaged 17.9 points, an NBA-leading 12.4 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game. Sabonis is also shooting a career-high 61.2% from the field in 31 games this season.

There is a "growing expectation" that the Sacramento Kings will extend general manager Monte McNair's contract, according to Marc Stein of Substack.

An official deal is expected to be agreed upon sometime in early 2023. 

McNair is currently in the last year of his three-year deal. 

With the success of the team this season, Stein adds that the fact that the Kings have yet to extend McNair is an "undeniable curiosity" around the league. 

The NBA fined Mike Brown $25,000 for "aggressively pursuing and directing profane language towards an official" on Friday.

The game in question took place during the Kings' 124-123 win over the Raptors on December 14. Brown was ejected after being assessed with two technical fouls with 9:09 left in the third quarter. 

The Detroit Pistons and Nerlens Noel agreed that a trade would best suit both parties, sources told James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.

Noel has appeared in just six games this season for the Pistons.

The Blazers, Heat, Kings, and Mavs have registered the most interest in a potential deal. 

Kyle Kuzma reportedly "wants out" of the Washington Wizards and is linked with several teams in the trade market, sources told Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.

Kuzma, a free agent after this season, is said to be looking for a new deal worth over $20 million per season with a team in a big market.

On the trade front, the Kings, Lakers, Knicks, and Suns have all been linked with a Kuzma deal.

Another source added that the Suns are not likely to commit to any long-term deals until a new ownership group is in place. 

The Sacramento Kings have gotten off to a 13-10 start that sees them sitting in fifth place in the Western Conference. Unfortunately, the Kings floor leader is playing through an injury to help Sacramento chase a playoff spot.

Following a loss at the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, De'Aaron Fox was spotted having his foot attended to by a member of the Kings medical staff. Fox said he's been dealing with a bruised right foot.

Fox said the injury occurred in Sacramento's game against the Orlando Magic on November 5. Despite saying the injury is bothering him "a lot", Fox doesn't expect to miss any games. Fox said the bruise is about pain management more than any risk of further damage and that he's "played well" over the last month-plus while dealing with the injury.