Keegan Murray is heading into his fifth season with the Sacramento Kings, and the big question hanging over him is whether there’s another jump left in the tank. The early signs of his career pointed to a player on a steep rise, but the last few years have told a different story.
Murray’s rookie year came with plenty of buzz. He dropped 40 points in summer league and later broke Donovan Mitchell’s single-season three-pointers made record, making it look like Sacramento had landed a major piece with its 2022 first-round pick.
Since then, though, his production has trended backward. He shot 41% from three as a rookie, dipped to 35.8% as a sophomore, and then fell to 27.7% last season.
Injuries made that downturn even harder to ignore. A torn UCL in his left thumb and lingering ankle issues limited him to 23 games, turning what was already a rough season into a career-worst stretch.
That’s why the ceiling conversation has started to follow him into year five. Sactown Sports’ Kenny Caraway thinks Murray has already hit it, though he doesn’t see that as a knock.
"There's no more levels," Caraway said on Tuesday's "Drive Guys" episode. "He's at the ceiling. He is who he is."
Even if that’s the case, Murray can still have real value. If his top-end version is a dependable starter who gives Sacramento 13 to 15 points a night, hits threes at a league-average clip and brings versatility on defense, that’s still a player with a long runway in the NBA.
Defense may be where he matters most for the Kings right now. Sacramento has struggled on the perimeter, and Murray’s 6-foot-8, 225-pound frame gives him the size to handle bigger wings while still moving well enough to stay with slippery scorers. He averaged 1.6 blocks in just 23 games last season, and his timing stood out as much as his discipline, with Murray staying vertical and waiting for the ball handler to initiate contact.
There’s still some shot-making juice there, too, even if it comes in streaks now. Murray had four games with at least five made threes in the 2024-25 season, and he poured in a season-high nine against the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 25, 2025.
Health remains the key variable. Sacramento held him out of Monday’s preseason loss to the Los Angeles Lakers because of an undisclosed issue, but there have been no reports pointing to anything serious, and he’s expected to see preseason action.
The bigger picture is pretty clear: Murray may never be the kind of player who carries an offense when the stars sit, but he still fits the mold of a valuable two-way wing. In today’s NBA, that kind of player is still in demand.
In Other News...
Lakers Followed Their Kings Win With A Performance Redick Couldn't Ignore
The Lakers came off their win over Sacramento only to look flat in a 124-98 loss to Golden State, and the result left JJ Redick with plenty to address even before accounting for the three key starters the team was missing. Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler were all out, but the absence of firepower did not fully explain how little resistance Los Angeles offered in the first half.
Redick made clear he expects more than an excuse-heavy response in the next stretch, especially from a group trying to stay steady through injuries and lineup changes. Sandro Mamukelashvili led the Lakers with 15 points, while Yaxel Lendeborg topped Golden State with 17, a reminder that the game was decided well before the final margin became official. [Read more 🡒]
Kings May Have Finally Found Hope At Point Guard
Darius Acuff got his first NBA start at point guard for the Kings and gave Sacramento a much-needed look at the position it has been trying to stabilize for years. Drafted seventh overall with the hope that he could grow into the starting job, Acuff showed why the organization was so intrigued, putting up 19 points with two rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block in a performance that offered plenty to build on.
There were still the expected rough edges, including some turnovers and shooting inefficiency, but the overall showing hinted at real long-term upside. For a team that has spent recent seasons searching for answers at point guard, Acuffs debut as a starter at least gave the Kings something they have not had there in a while: a reason to believe the position might finally be taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Zach LaVine Just Gave Kings Fans A Reason To Believe
Zach LaVines first preseason home opener in Sacramento offered a small but meaningful reminder of why the Kings were willing to bet on him. In just over 15 minutes, he scored nine points on 4-of-6 shooting and chipped in a defensive rebound, but the bigger takeaway was the way he looked moving and engaging on both ends after a season derailed by injuries.
LaVine missed more than half of last year with a long list of setbacks, from back issues to an ankle sprain to surgery for a torn tendon in his finger, so even a modest exhibition showing carried some weight. The encouraging part for Sacramento was the confidence he appeared to play with, along with a more noticeable defensive effort than he had consistently shown before, leaving Kings fans with a reason to keep watching closely. [Read more 🡒]