The Sacramento Kings took their sweet time on Keegan Murray's extension, dragging it out until the last minute. Now that everything is signed off and Murray has his bag, it's time to get to work. Both he and the Kings need to get to work on turning him into the player he is should be.
Way back in 2022, the Kings drafted Murray fourth overall with high expectations. It came as no surprise as his college career was defined by elite offense, strong rebounding, and being a consistent disruptive force on defense. He was exactly who the Kings needed.
So far, Murray has been good but hasn't exactly lived up to his potential. He remains a reliable scorer and is one of the top defenders on the team. At the same time, he is entering season four and has yet to take a real step into super stardom that many think he should have by now.
That's not Murray's fault
It's hard to solely blame Murray for any of that. The Kings have dropped the ball on his development for much of his run with the team. He's spent no time with the G League affiliate, which may have been good for him during his first season in the league to help him aclimatise.
The other issue is a major one that always comes up when talking about the Kings' deficiencies. Keegan is a defensively-minded power forward on a team that is focused on and favors shoot-first guards. That imbalance has been a crucial roadblock in his growth as an NBA star.
While some criticisms on Murray's game are accurate, it's important to recognize the root of them are in the Kings' organization. They are going to have to make changes to support his growth, but Murray is also going to have to take advantage of those opportunities.
Keegan Murray gets paid
After months of speculation, Murray signed a five-year rookie extension worth $140 million. It caught a lot of NBA executives by surprise due to the dollar amount and the length of the contract, particularly since some feel he hasn't quite earned it, yet.
Murray has to work on his ball-handling as well as attacking downhill in transition and playing through contact. Plus, he needs to be putting up more three-point attempts while rebuilding his shooting consistency. Naturally, the first step will be healing the thumb injury that's keeping him on the bench.
Doug Christie's focus on defense should help Murray's game dramatically. At the same time, Keegan has to fight to get to his game to the point it should be at. The Kings can't want it more than he does. And aggression is certainly something Murray has been missing the last couple of years.