The Sacramento Kings have playfully urged Keegan Murray to smile more since he came into the NBA with stone face expressions and a stoic demeanor.
The Kings gave Murray millions of reasons to smile Wednesday when they reached an agreement on a rookie-scale contract extension that could keep him in Sacramento for years to come.
A league source told The Sacramento Bee the Kings have agreed to a five-year extension that runs through the 2030-31 season. Murray’s agents, Mark Bartelstein and Kyle McAlarney of Priority Sports, told ESPN the contract is worth $140 million with an average annual value of $28 million.
“I think you guys know how I feel about Keegan,” Kings coach Doug Christie said. “Incredibly versatile player. Love him as a person. Ever since 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.”
Murray was not with the team as the Kings prepared to play the Los Angeles Clippers in a preseason game Wednesday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. He will miss the start of the season with an ulnar collateral ligament tear in his left thumb. Murray underwent surgery Monday and is expected to be reevaluated in four to six weeks.
Murray, 25, is entering his fourth season with the Kings since coming out of Iowa as the No. 4 pick in the 2022 NBA draft. The 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward averaged 13.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocks over his first three seasons.
Murray started 78 games and set a rookie record with 206 3-point goals while helping the Kings reach the playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference in 2022-23. He has grown his game in other areas over the past two seasons, becoming one of the most versatile and effective perimeter defenders in the NBA.
This story was originally published October 15, 2025 at 6:27 PM.