The often-nonsensical Sacramento Kings have finally made a sensible move.
On Wednesday, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported small forward Keegan Murray has agreed to a five-year, $140M rookie contract extension with the Kings. The 2022 No. 4 overall pick will be under contract with the team through the 2030-31 season.
On Monday, Murray underwent surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb. He will be reevaluated again in four to six weeks, meaning he could miss at least 10 regular-season games. Despite the injury, retaining Murray is one of the smarter moves the Kings have made recently.
Keegan Murray is a solid two-way player for Kings
Murray, 25, continues to establish himself as a centerpiece of the Kings’ defense. Last season, he ranked third in the team in defensive win shares (2.1) behind guard Keon Ellis (2.2) and center Domantas Sabonis (2.7) (via Basketball Reference). Defensive win shares estimate the number of wins contributed by a player because of his defense.
