When it comes to Keegan Murray, there are some serious questions the Sacramento Kings have to ask that need immediate answers. Does he fit the rebuild? Is he the star the Kings need him to be? Will his health hold out, or is he another injury-prone bust? It's all pretty heavy, to say the least.
Going into the 2025-2026 season, Murray was at the center of everything for the Kings. They hadn't decided on the rebuild yet, but they knew they needed to do better. With De'Aaron Fox gone, the plan was make Murray the new face of the franchise. Everyone knows how that worked out.
Murray was injured in the preseason, which kept him out for several weeks. Additional injuries caused him to miss even more of the season. Ultimately, he only played 23 games in 2025-2026, which is around 28%. That's not what a team wants from their new face.
Even worse, Sacramento handed him a five-year, $140 million extension that keeps him on the roster through 2030-2031 in October. That was before he missed 72% of this season. When he was on the court, Murray was inconsistent at best, which has been true since the Kings drafted him in 2022.
The Kings have a major Murray question to answer
To be blunt, signing such a long extension with Murray was a dubious decision before all the injuries. Now, it just seems careless at absolute best. Assuming that Murray does stay healthy enough to play next season, his M.O. has always been up and down in both offensive production and efficiency.
That leaves all of the questions listed above having to be answered. Really, it all comes down to the Kings asking themselves if they really need Murray to thrive. If everyone is being honest with themselves, the answer is no. He's four years into his career, and not where he should be.
Keeping all of that in mind, the Kings are unlikely to trade him anytime soon. Murray is coming off an injury-filled season in the midst of a full rebuild. Sacramento is going to want to get him back on the court and see what he can do post-injuries before they make any long-term decisions.
Plus, he might be all over the map on offense but Murray is a great defender. That's a huge part of the Kings' rebuild, so he still has a role to play. If Sacramento help him find some consistency on offense while putting him to work on defense, he still might become the player they hoped he would be.
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