The 2026 NBA Draft might have the deepest class of any in history, and the Sacramento Kings need to take full advantage. As such, it might be time to consider moving on from Keegan Murray in exchange for at least one first round draft pick as well as a couple of second round picks.
To some Sactown fans, the idea of trading Murray might be considered heresy. This is the guy the Kings have hung all of their future hopes on, giving him a massive $140 million extension through the 2030-2031 season. Keegan Murray is the Sacramento Kings. Or is he?
Murray is in his fourth season, and has yet to really breakout as star player. Year four has pretty much been a wash thanks to two major injuries that kept him off the court for the majority of the season to date. And his performance in the games he has played has been inconsistent at best.
Just giving him the benefit of the doubt, the Kings have had a multitude of problems during his time with them that have prevented Murray from living up to his potential. At the age of 25, he has plenty of time to grow into the player they need him to be. The Kings could put that work in elsewhere.
There's a trade window for the Kings coming up
With more than 20 games left in the season, Sacramento's front office has plenty of time to assess Murray and get a sense of where he's at. More importantly, they can decide if he still fits their long-term planning. If not, there is another big opportunity right around the corner.
Once the season is over, NBA teams can start talking trades again. If the Kings move quickly, they could trade Murray to another team strictly in exchange for picks. The NBA Draft Lottery is on May 10, so the league will have a better idea of where everyone stands.
A player like Murray could easily fetch at least one first-round draft pick as well as one or two second-round picks. Given the caliber of this year's potential draft class, even those second-round picks are valuable. Add the three picks the Kings already have, and they could do some serious roster building.
The team currently has one open spot plus there are several players becoming unrestricted free agents at the end of the year. There's room to add some serious rookie firepower to the roster. If there was ever the time to pull the trigger on a move like this, it's for this draft.