Kings’ Keegan Murray Suffers Injury, Will Be Out for Several Weeks
Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb during a preseason game against Portland on Friday night, the team announced.
Murray will undergo surgery and be reevaluated in four to six weeks, which will leave him out of action for at least the first 10 games of the regular season.
This injury comes at a crucial moment for Murray’s career. Entering his fourth season, he is eligible for a contract extension in the coming week. The deadline to reach an agreement with the Kings is October 20. If no agreement is reached, Murray will enter restricted free agency next summer.
Murray has been a key player in terms of durability at the beginning of his NBA career, participating in 233 of 246 possible games in his first three seasons, and starting in all but two of them. This ulnar collateral ligament tear is the most significant injury he has suffered as a professional.
It was expected that Murray would be the starting 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 on the wing, which means the Kings will be without a significant shooter and their most reliable defender in the first month.
Among the candidates who could fill Murray’s position are veteran forward Dario Saric, veteran guard Malik Monk, fourth-year guard Keon Ellis, and rookie Nique Clifford. Dennis Schroder, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Domantas Sabonis are the other four expected starters.
