Sacramento’s frustration with Keegan Murray is no longer whisper-level noise. It’s out in the open now, with some Kings fans openly wondering whether the team should trade the forward after another rough night and another stretch of poor shooting.
Murray was slow out of the gate in Wednesday’s 121-96 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, finishing with two points on 1-for-8 shooting, including 0-for-4 from three, along with four rebounds.
That kind of outing has become all too familiar since his breakthrough rookie campaign in 2022-23. Murray’s first season in the league was the one that made him look like a long-term answer: the 6-foot-8 forward hit 206 threes at 41.1%, breaking Donovan Mitchell’s single-season record for makes from deep.
The drop since then has been steep. He shot 35.8% in 2023-24, then dipped to 34.3% in 2024-25 while appearing in 153 games.
Last season brought even more disruption, with a torn UCL in his left thumb and a lingering left ankle sprain limiting him to 23 games. His 27.7% mark from beyond the arc was a career low, though the smaller sample makes that figure harder to read.
The anger from fans is real, but Matt George, host of the “Matt and Kayla Show” and the “Matt George Podcast,” has a different warning: if Murray turns it around elsewhere, don’t act surprised. George argues that sometimes a player needs a new environment to get back on track, and he says Murray should own his decline while also recognizing the Kings had a hand in it.
George pointed to Sacramento’s handling of the roster around Murray. The franchise traded Davion Mitchell to the Toronto Raptors and De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs, then added DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine over a two-year stretch.
The instability didn’t stop there. The Kings fired coach Mike Brown in December 2024 and then let go of general manager Monte McNair after the season.
Through all of that turnover, Murray was still treated as a core piece. McNair signed him to a five-year, $140 million rookie contract extension in October 2024, and that deal kicked in this season. New general manager Scott Perry also turned down trade requests from teams asking about Murray.
Still, the questions around his game keep building. Kings media members have openly wondered about his ceiling, especially because he hasn’t consistently flashed as an efficient on-ball shot creator. Defensively, he’s been asked to chase quick, crafty scorers.
For now, Sacramento is still betting on Murray as part of the future. But after a rocky start to what was supposed to be a bounce-back year, the pressure is on him to answer with the kind of 3-point shooting that made him such a weapon in the first place.
In Other News...
Kings Loss Raised A Bigger Question Than Darius Acuff Jr. Answered
Darius Acuff Jr. gave the Kings plenty to build around in their 128-120 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers at Golden 1 Center, and he did it in style for his home debut. The rookie guard led all scorers with 33 points, while Domantas Sabonis added a triple-double with 27 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists in a game that kept Sacramento close but never quite let it fully flip.
Even with Acuff and Sabonis carrying the load, the bigger concern coming out of the night was the deeper look at the rotation, especially with Malik Monk back in action for his season debut. Monk played 12 minutes and did not score, leaving the Kings with a little more to sort through after their second straight loss to open the 2026-27 season and an uneven night that raised more questions than answers. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Showed Fight But One Early Problem Is Already Back
The Kings had enough offense to make this one feel salvageable for long stretches, with rookie Darius Acuff Jr. pouring in 33 points and Domantas Sabonis turning in a triple-double in the loss to Portland. Sacramento showed the kind of fight that can keep a team from spiraling early in a season, especially after trailing by double digits and working its way back into the game.
Still, the 128-120 defeat left Sacramento at 0-2, and the old issue that haunted plenty of recent Kings nights was back in the spotlight. A rough third quarter put them in a hole, and the three-point shooting never really gave them the lift they needed to finish the comeback, leaving another familiar early-season frustration hanging over a team trying to find its footing. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Put Doug Christie In A Tough Spot Right Away
Doug Christie is stepping into his final year on the Kings sideline with no shortage of pressure, and the early challenge is as much about timing as it is about talent. Sacramento wants to keep developing rookie Darius Acuff Jr. while still leaning on a veteran core, a balancing act that has only gotten trickier after the teams recent struggles and the way injuries last season pushed Christie to trust younger players more than planned.
The bigger issue hanging over the season is what happens if the losses keep coming. Senior NBA writer Sam Amick has noted that Christies job security is tied closely to general manager Scott Perry, which adds another layer to every lineup choice and every rough stretch. For a coach trying to prove he can steady the group, the margin for patience may already be shrinking if Sacramento doesnt turn things around soon. [Read more 🡒]