The Sacramento Kings left Friday night with a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, an 0-2 start, and another injury situation to monitor. Now Keegan Murray’s status is one of the biggest questions hanging over Sunday’s matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Murray tweaked his ankle in Friday’s game and did not come back to finish it, even though head coach Doug Christie said he was available to return. Christie said the decision to keep him on the bench came down to the flow of the game and Murray’s time away from the action.
"Well, Keegan had went to the back, and then when he came back, those guys had made a run. So that was really it," Christie explained the decision to keep Murray on the bench.
"He was ready to play when he came back, but he had sat so long, and the kid was playing well. So we went with that."
That choice made the finish even more unusual, especially with Sacramento still in position to grab its first win of the season and trim Portland’s lead to three points late. But the bigger concern now is whether Murray is healthy enough to go on Sunday, because the Kings are already thin.
Sacramento is without Ben Simmons for the season and will also be missing Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell for the next week or two. Murray’s situation adds another layer to a roster that can’t really afford many more setbacks.
The latest update has him listed as questionable against Memphis because of left ankle capsulitis. Kings insider James Ham added that Murray’s absence Friday was not a trip to the locker room, but a stint on a bike in the tunnel. Ham also said Murray is dealing with stiffness in the ankle he had surgery on in May and that there was a chance he would be listed as questionable before that designation was made official.
"Hearing Keegan Murray’s disappearance during Friday night’s game was not a trip to the locker room - he was on a bike in the tunnel. Also hearing he is experiencing some stiffness in the ankle that he had surgery on in May and there is a chance he’ll be listed as questionable for tomorrow," Ham posted before Murray was officially listed as questionable.
The Kings need Murray on the court for more than just his presence. They need him to settle into a rhythm, and so far that hasn’t happened. In two games, he’s averaging 7.0 points and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 29.4% from the field and has not made a three-pointer.
That kind of start is especially concerning coming off a frustrating 2025-26 season that was derailed by injuries. Sacramento gave Murray a five-year, $140 million contract extension, and right now the team is still waiting to see whether that investment is going to pay off.
If Murray can’t stay on the floor or get his offense going, the pressure around that deal is only going to grow. Kings fans have been patient with the 26-year-old forward, but this season is already shaping up as a big one for him.
If he’s unable to play Sunday, Sacramento could turn to Daeqwon Plowden, Jonathan Mogbo, or rookie Alex Karaban to fill the starting spot.
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