The Sacramento Kings will be without Keegan Murray for at least the next week after the forward was diagnosed with a mild strain in his right calf. The injury occurred during Tuesday’s loss to the Detroit Pistons, and an MRI confirmed the strain. He’ll be reevaluated in one week, meaning he’s expected to miss at least the next four games.
It’s another frustrating setback for Murray, who’s already had to battle through injury this season. He missed the first 15 games of the year after undergoing surgery in mid-October to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb. Now, just as he was beginning to find his rhythm, he’s sidelined again.
And make no mistake - Murray was making a serious impact when on the floor. In 15 games this season, he was averaging 14.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game.
Those are solid numbers, but what really stands out is how much the Kings were leaning on him. If he had played enough games to qualify, his 37.1 minutes per game would place him second in the entire league.
That tells you everything about how important he is to Sacramento’s rotation.
While his shooting hasn’t quite clicked yet - he’s hitting 43.8% from the field, just 26.3% from three, and 76.5% from the line - his defensive presence and versatility have been key for a Kings team trying to build on last season’s playoff return. He’s been active in passing lanes, protecting the rim, and doing a lot of the dirty work that doesn’t always show up in the box score.
With Murray out, Sacramento will have to dig deeper into its bench and find ways to fill the void - both in terms of minutes and the two-way production he brings. The hope is that this calf strain is truly mild and doesn’t linger, because when healthy, Murray is one of the most valuable pieces on this Kings roster.
The team will reassess his status in a week, but for now, Sacramento will have to navigate a tough stretch without one of its most relied-upon players.