With the Sacramento Kings embarking on their rebuild process, the presumed cornerstone has long been Keegan Murray. But given his performance and injury issues, the Kings may need to step back and reconsider that stance, especially with some interesting new options presenting themselves.
The Kings drafted Murray fourth overall in 2022, and he has played his entire career to date on the Sacramento roster. Keegan is now in his fourth NBA season on a team that is all but dead in the water and is looking at a major rebuild to right the ship. That includes a lot of trades coming their way.
With De'Aaron Fox long gone, the Kings are also looking to move Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine, as well as several other players. The goal is to make room on the roster and in the salary cap get the young talent needed to become a true contender.
Being that Murray himself is a young forward with a lot of talent and a major upside, it makes sense that the Kings would make him the foundation of the rebuild. Looking at how things are going for him these days, the front office should start questioning those decisions.
Keegan Murray isn't the foundation the Kings think he is
So far in 2025-2026, Murray has dealt with a variety of injuries that have caused him to miss the bulk of the season. And when he's on the court, Keegan has been incredibly inconsistent, with his shooting regressing at an absolutely phenomenal rate.
To be fair, it's hard to find a rhythm on the court when you're always injured. Plus, the Kings are a terrible team, so no one on the roster is having the best season. Regardless, Murray is expected to be a leader and primary scorer on the new Kings. He's not playing like that guy.
In reality, these issues are not new. Murray is good, but that same inconsistency has dogged him throughout his short career. The same is true of his injuries, something that's unlikely to change. Another injury to Murray during the rebuild could completely derail the entire process.
No one is suggesting that the Kings should trade Keegan Murray. At the same time, he's probably not the guy Sacramento wants to plan a full rebuild around. With options like Maxime Raynaud already on the team and the potential for a great draft pick in 2026, there's no need for the Kings to settle.