Kings’ Keegan Murray Suffers Thumb Injury
Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray has suffered an injury to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his left thumb. The injury occurred during a preseason game against Portland on Friday night, according to the team.
Murray underwent surgery on Monday and will be reevaluated in four to six weeks. This means that the young Kings power forward will be out of action 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 consistent and durable player at the start of his NBA career, participating in 233 of the 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 projected to be the starting power forward for a Kings team looking to compete for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. He has made 543 three-pointers in his career and has become a versatile defender at the forward position. This means the Kings will be deprived of a valuable shooter and their most reliable defender in the first month of the season.
Among the candidates who could fill Murray’s position in the starting five 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.
