While the Kings still manage to have a relatively strong defensive presence, they are a shooter-heavy team. That got even worse over the offseason with the trades they made and the ones they didn't.
That imbalance in the team's composition is becoming a worse and worse problem, particularly for players with huge potential which remain unexplored and underdeveloped.
Keegan Murray is definitely one of those players for the Kings. Picked in the fourth in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft, the Kings haven't come close to exploring Murray's full abilities, something they had better do before he moves on.
Keegan Murray is a young gun
Murray has carved out a spot for himself as a '3 and D' player who can reliably hit three-pointers while still putting up solid defense. He was their top shot blocker last season, averaging 0.9 per game.
The Kings seem to be aware of his formidable abilities. Murray played 76 games in the 2024-2025 season and started all of them. That shows confidence in him.
At the same time, the Kings are still overlooking Murray and what he could bring to the team. His offense is bigger than three-pointers, meaning he could also be a strong inside threat. They just have to give him the chance to be that guy.
Let Murray shine
With the departure of De'Aaron Fox, Zach Lavine and DeMar DeRozan stepped up to become the King's top scorers. The problem is that both players are in the back halves of their careers, with trades or retirement on the horizon particularly for DeRozan.
That means the Kings need to start developing young players and building a team for the future. Sabonis is only 29, meaning he still has his prime ahead of him. Murray is 25 and could ride with Sabonis for the next decade.
If the Kings put the work into Murray and make him part of that future strategy, he could help lead them to a title. That means building a team that will help him shine, not relegate him to very specific roles on the court.