Kings’ Keegan Murray Suffers Thumb Injury
The Sacramento Kings forward, Keegan Murray, has suffered an injury to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his left thumb, the team announced. The injury occurred during a preseason game against Portland on Friday night.
Murray will undergo surgery and will be reevaluated in four to six weeks, which will sideline him for at least the first 10 games of the regular season.
This injury comes at a crucial time for Murray, who is entering his fourth season and is eligible for a contract extension in the coming week. The deadline to reach an agreement with the Kings is October 20. If an agreement is not reached, Murray will become a restricted free agent next summer.
Murray has been a key player for the Kings since the start of his NBA career, participating in 233 of 246 possible games in his first three seasons, and starting in all but two. This UCL injury is the most significant he has suffered as a professional.
Murray was expected to be the Kings’ starting forward, a team looking to compete for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. With 543 career three-pointers, Murray has become a versatile defender on the wing, meaning the Kings will be without a key player at the start of the season.
Among the candidates to take Murray’s place are veteran forward Dario Saric, veteran guard Malik Monk, fourth-year guard Keon Ellis, and rookie Nique Clifford.
The other four expected starters are Dennis Schroder, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Domantas Sabonis.
