The Sacramento Kings got absolutely pummeled by the Rockets last night, which is par for the course. But the real story was Keegan Murray getting injured yet again and leaving after playing for eight minutes. At this point, the Kings need to start asking some hard questions about his future.
As everyone knows, Sacramento is going into a rebuild phase. Led by general manager Scott Perry, the goal is to pull this franchise out of its tailspin and at least try to make the postseason. That's a tall order considering the state of the roster and the bad contracts that need to be dealt with,
The core of that rebuild is Keegan Murray. Drafted by the Kings, the fourth-year player has the defensive abilities and explosive offense to push the team forward. Plus, he's only 25-years-old, meaning he has time to develop and grow with this hopefully evolving franchise.
Unfortunately, things haven't worked out that way. Sacramento gave him a multi-year extension through 2030-31 just before this season. Since then, Murray has been injured for most of 2025-2026, playing in only 23 games. And it's likely his season is over right now, considering last night's injury.
Keegan Murray's health is now a major question mark
During the course of getting blown out by the Rockets, Murray left early with yet another ankle injury. Given how late it is in the season, no one would be shocked if the Kings completely shut him down. That means he will end up missing 59 games this season. That's 72% of the campaign on the bench.
This wasn't due to one injury, either. It was multiple issues that kept him off the court. When he has managed to string a few games in a row together, his performances have been inconsistent at absolute best, and certainly not what the Kings need from the player billed as the face of the rebuild.
It's not the time for the Kings to completely write Murray off yet. Given how this season has gone, no one on the team is at their best. At the same time, his ability to stay healthy has to be called into question. If he is going to be the man in Sacramento, Murray has to be on the court to do that.
The rebuild will be a long-term process that is going to be slowed down by big-money contracts the Kings need to move. That gives Murray time to get healthy and get his game right. That doesn't mean the front office shouldn't be wary of ending up in a Zion Williamson situation, though.