Ranking the 5 most important players on the Sacramento Kings Heading into 2024-25

#1: Keegan Murray

To me, the Kings' most important player heading into the 2024-25 season is easily Keegan Murray. When you think about it, Murray combines everything that is great about Ellis and Huerter.

Murray gives you all those role player skills that make Ellis such a nice three-and-D player. Plus, like Huerter, Murray is a knockdown shooter (also coming off a down shooting year) who can let it fly while coming off curls and handoffs. Oh yeah, and he's bigger (6'8) than both of them.

That last part is the real key here. The Kings don't have anyone who combines Murray's combination of shooting, defense, and size. As we saw last year with OG Anunoby and the New York Knicks, having a player who offers those three things is immensely valuable.

Murray doesn't offer the on-ball creation that Fox, DeRozan, Monk, and Sabonis can give the Kings. But like we've said already, since we have an abundance of creation, none of those players will be counted on to deliver night after night.

Barring any major trades (or an Isaiah Crawford breakout), there is no one on the Kings' roster who has the potential to do what Murray does for this team. We mentioned Anunoby. If Murray can reach that kind of level of impact this season (which isn't entirely out of the question), the Kings quickly ascend from a fun, frisky team to a fierce contender in the Western Conference.

No other player on the team has that kind of pulling power, making Murray our most important one.