In a tough turn of events for the Sacramento Kings, forward Keegan Murray finds himself sidelined once again. Just four games into his comeback from a previous injury, Murray rolled his left ankle late in the game against the Houston Rockets. This is the same ankle that suffered a moderate sprain earlier in February, causing him to miss 20 games.
The Kings confirmed that an MRI revealed a mild sprain, and Murray will be reevaluated in two weeks. This setback is another challenge for the 2022 fourth overall pick, who has already faced a tumultuous season.
He missed the first 15 games due to a torn UCL in his left thumb, suffered in a preseason clash with Portland. After returning to play 19 of the next 21 games, the previous ankle sprain forced him back to the sidelines for another 20 games.
In the 23 games Murray has managed to play this season, the 6'8" forward has averaged 14.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists, though he's struggled with shooting, hitting career lows of 42 percent from the field and 27.7 percent from beyond the arc.
Kings head coach Doug Christie will have to navigate at least six more games without his starting forward, with only 21 games left in the regular season. This situation opens the door for players like Precious Achiuwa, Daeqwon Plowden, and Patrick Baldwin Jr. to step up.
It's been a challenging season for both Murray and the Kings, raising questions about whether it might be best to consider shutting him down for the rest of the season. However, there could still be value in Murray playing the final stretch of games if he can return.
Looking ahead, the Kings will wrap up a five-game road trip against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. Sacramento has a 1-2 record against the Lakers this season but claimed victory in their last meeting with a 124-112 win, thanks to a standout performance from DeMar DeRozan.
Catch all the action of the Kings vs. Lakers on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage starting at 5:00 PM PT and tip-off at 6:30 PM PT from downtown Los Angeles.