Why Kings' long-term commitment to Keegan Murray is win-win for both sides originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Keegan Murray, speaking to the media last month for the first time since last season at Kings Media Day, talked about one life-changing moment this year after marrying his long-time girlfriend, Carly, over the offseason.
A smile – OK, a smirk – lit up his face as he talked about the unforgettable night for several minutes.
Little did he know he would experience yet another life-changing moment a few weeks later.
At Media Day, Murray was asked about where negotiations stood as he entered the final year of his rookie contract. Murray, as expected, kept things simple as he detailed his mindset at the time.
“I told my agent, for me, I just don’t want to worry about that,” he said. “I told him he can handle the business side, and when I hear from him, or if I see his contact on my phone, I want it to be something important.
Murray got that call on Wednesday.
The Kings locked up their former No. 4 overall pick for the long haul, agreeing to a five-year, $140 million contract extension with Murray on Wednesday, his agent Mark Bartelstein confirmed to NBC Sports California.
Murray, the second-longest tenured King only behind Domantas Sabonis, will remain in Sacramento for the long run. And that’s a win-win for both sides.
Since being drafted by Sacramento in 2022, there has been much discussion about whether Murray has lived up to the expectations of a lottery pick.
He was off to a convincing start in his rookie season, mostly serving as a 3-point sharpshooter while breaking the NBA’s rookie 3-point record along the way. He also finished fifth in Rookie of the Year voting.
In the seasons following, his shooting took a dip while his focus shifted to the defensive end of the court. In three seasons with Sacramento, Murray has averaged 13.3 points on 45.1-percent shooting from the field and 37.2 percent from distance, with 5.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 32.5 minutes per game.
Within the blink of an eye, Murray has emerged as one of the best 3-and-D wings in the league.
And now, with a new contract and the loss of De’Aaron Fox last season, Murray is on a clear one-way path toward becoming the face of the franchise in Sacramento along his trek of reaching two-way stardom potential.
“I think you guys know how I feel about Keegan,” coach Doug Christie told reporters before Sacramento’s preseason game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. “Incredibly versatile player. Love him as a person. Just watching him grow up as a young man and watching his game continue to blossom.
“From the time I took over, just trying to put air underneath his wings. And let him know that he’s highly valued and we truly, truly appreciate him here.”
A large part of what’s holding back Murray’s offensive surge falls on Sacramento’s roster construction. He’s had to share the court with players who demand the ball in their hands, taking away and limiting his own touches.
It appears that won’t change during the upcoming 2025-26 season.
Murray will start alongside Dennis Schroder, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis. A small, and perhaps irrelevant, sample size through a few preseason games shows spacing continues to be an issue for this team – specifically with that lineup.
But this move to lock up Murray for at least the next six seasons makes at least one thing clear: the Kings are committed to building this team, the rotations and lineups around Murray. It might not be this season, but it’s becoming more and more evident that’s the end goal.
Aside from roster construction, the next step in Murray’s evolution is to be more aggressive offensively. He knows it, his coaches demand it and his teammates encourage it.
“A key component to our success is Keegan — on both ends of the ball,” DeRozan told reporters during training camp earlier this month. “We won’t be able to go nowhere if we don’t get the best out of him every single night.”
That will be the goal this season and beyond for Sacramento.
While speaking to the media for more than 15 minutes during end-of-the-season exit interviews back in April, Murray reflected on his NBA journey thus far.
He made it clear that he wasn’t disappointed in his third NBA season with the Kings, despite some outside noise critiquing his inability to make a notable and consistent leap. Murray was committed to staying patient, knowing his time would come.
“I’ve had to fill different roles within the team, now that I think about it, every year,” Murray said at the time. “So with me, I think eventually it’ll pay off. I know that eventually good things are going to happen. So I’m not worried about anything.
“I know my time is going to come, and whether it’s next year, or a couple years after, I know eventually it’ll be my time.”
Well, that time is now.
And while Sacramento’s brass maneuvers through unclear waters, Murray’s signing at least gives a loyal Kings fanbase something to look forward to now and in the future as the “Keegan! Murray!” chants are here to stay.
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