While Keegan Murray is a good player, he's not where he should be in his development. The blame for that rests entirely on the Sacramento Kings, who have not developed him properly over the last four seasons. This has been an ongoing issue with a variety of young players over the past 20 years.
After spending most of last season on the shelf due to injuries, Murray is finally ready to return to the court for 2026-2027, which is good for Sacramento. Just before his injuries in the 2025-2026 season, the Kings signed him to a five-year rookie extension that cemented his place on the roster.
The team has changed rather drastically in his absence. Several players have left the team, and several have joined, most of whom were added to the roster through the draft. Not only does Murray have to get his NBA legs back under him, but he'll have to learn how to play on a new Kings team.
Preparing Murray for what comes next
At this point, the question has to be whether Sacramento has done enough to prepare Murray for this situation. This is not a franchise that is well-known for its developmental process, having botched multiple players in the past. The Kings don't exactly have a great reputation in this area.
Murray joined the roster just in time for the blip of success Sacramento had known as the Beam Team Era. He was in the mix for the Kings' first postseason appearance in 16 years. It was good to see, but not necessarily the best way for a rookie to begin his development cycle.
It also doesn't help that Murray got caught up in the shenanigans of the 2024-2025 season. The Kings fired then head coach Mike Brown, lost their main point guard in De'Aaron Fox, and rebuilt their front office. It further complicated Murray's development, adding more speed bumps to the process.
Murray can recover from his early issues
Coming back from injury is the perfect time for Murray to find that next level. He's basically had a year to recover and work on himself. In some ways, stepping back from the court for a bit may have been the best thing for him. It gave him a chance to analyze his game, then move forward from there.
It also doesn't hurt that he's dealing with a new head coach, a new front office, and a partially revamped team. This is his chance to push his development and find the version of himself fans know is there. He just has to want it, but he seems like the kind of guy who would.
Murray has long struggled with consistency in his game. But he's older, more experienced, and now has improved resources in his franchise. That means this is the time for Murray to find his next gear. He got the contract. Now it's time to validate the Kings' confidence in him.
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