The Sacramento Kings have been without one of their most important players for all of the 2025-26 NBA season. The fourth-year forward tore the UCL in his left thumb during preseason, and surgery has kept him on the bench as the Kings jump out to a disappointing 3-11 start to the season.
With an initial timeline of 4-6 weeks, we’ve reached the five-week mark. He will be practicing with their G League affiliate in Stockton moving forward, the team announced on Monday. According to additional reports, Murray plans to joined the team in Oklahoma City on Wednesday night with “hope he will make his season debut on the back end of the Kings’ 10-day road trip.”
League source confirms that the Kings have assigned Keegan Murray to the Stockton Kings of the G League. He has been cleared for 5-on-5 contact and plans to join the team in OKC. There is hope he will make his season debut on the back end of the Kings’ 10-day road trip.
— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) November 17, 2025
Murray, who inked a five-year, $140-million rookie extension prior to the season, provides plenty of what head coach Doug Christie has been lacking. Their clear shortcomings have been related to size, shooting, and defense. That’s exactly what the 25-year-old 6’8 forward provides.
In 76 games played last season, Murray averaged 12.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists on 44.4 percent shooting and 34.3 percent from three. He’s expected to be in the starting lineup when available, hopefully bringing some stability to a constantly changing group.
During the preseason and training camp, it was clear that Murray and the team had high expectations for his fourth season. He even went so far as to say he wants to be in the conversation for Most Improved Player.
With a 65-game played limit for end-of-season awards, he cannot miss more than 17 games to be eligible, and he has already been sidelined for 14. So, while those hopes seem distant, his presence should certainly aid a Sacramento team that desperately lacks his size and skillset.
More Sacramento Kings coverage on Sactown Sports
Heading into their second of a five-game road trip, the Sacramento Kings head to San Antonio to face off against familiar faces De’Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes on Sunday afternoon.
The host San Antonio Spurs were without superstar Victor Wembanyama. Obviously, a significant loss for them, but it also made the game plan more straightforward for Fox, playing in his second game against the organization he represented for the first seven and a half years of his career.
Sacramento Kings head coach Doug Christie rolled out his 12th different starting lineup. He elected to go smaller, with Keon Ellis starting in place of Precious Achiuwa and sliding DeMar DeRozan to power forward.
Read More:
Familiar faces in San Antonio hand Kings their sixth-straight loss
Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season
Wednesday, November 19th – @ Oklahoma City – 5:00 PM PT
Thursday, November 20th – @ Memphis Grizzlies – 5:00 PM PT
Saturday, November 22nd – @ Denver Nuggets – 7:00 PM PT
Monday, November 24th – vs. Minnesota Timberwolves – 7:00 PM PT
Wednesday, November 26th – vs. Phoenix Suns – 7:00 PM PT
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