Sacramento Kings Make BOLD Contract Decision Regarding Keegan Murray; DETAILS Inside
Sacramento Kings have made their decision regarding their upcoming superstar Keegan Murray. Let's read about it.
According to Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 KTXL, the Kings have exercised their 2025–26 team option on Keegan Murray. Murray will make $8,809,560 this season, but this move guarantees him a guaranteed $11,144,093 in 2025–2026, the fourth and last year of his rookie-scale contract.
Murray, a 24-year-old Iowan, was selected fourth overall in the 2022 draft. Sacramento's decision to exercise the option was merely formal because, during his first two seasons, Murray established himself as an essential member of the team's core.
Murray, a 6-foot-8 forward, averaged 15.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.0 steals in 33.6 minutes per game while playing in 77 regular-season games in 2023–24. Murray was named to the All-Rookie first team in 2022–23. He can play a variety of positions on both ends of the court and was frequently assigned to guard the best perimeter player on the other team.
Murray played basketball for Prairie High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He won Metro Player of the Year as a senior, averaging 20.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest. To increase his exposure, Murray studied for a year at the DME Academy in Daytona Beach, Florida. At the National Prep School Invitational, he averaged 22.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, winning the title of most outstanding player.
Murray's floor spacing skills are essential to the Kings offense, which is centered on ball-dominant players like Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox. According to NBA.com, he made the seventh-most catch-and-shoot threes of any player in the Western Conference with 162 last season.
In trade negotiations, Murray has been shielded by the Kings. Sacramento reportedly wasn't interested in adding him in discussions for stars such as Pascal Siakam and Zach LaVine ahead of the 2023-24 trade deadline.
The Athletics’ Anthony Slater also revealed that during the summer, Murray was shielded by the Kings from negotiations involving Utah Jazz power forward Lauri Markkanen. Six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan was ultimately acquired by Sacramento on July 6th through a sign-and-trade deal with the Chicago Bulls.
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