Kings Gain Clarity on Keegan Murray's Injury Status Before Grizzlies Game

After losing to the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night, the Sacramento Kings moved to 0-2 on the season, and to make matters worse, they continue to deal with injuries. The Kings are already without Ben Simmons for the season and Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell for the next week or two, so they cannot afford too many other absences.

Now, though, they are at risk of playing without Keegan Murray in their next game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday. During Friday's loss, Murray tweaked his ankle and did not return to close the game, despite being available to do so, per head coach Doug Christie.

"Well, Keegan had went to the back, and then when he came back, those guys had made a run. So that was really it," Christie explained the decision to keep Murray on the bench. "He was ready to play when he came back, but he had sat so long, and the kid was playing well. So we went with that."

It is odd for Murray to stay on the bench when the Kings had a clear chance to pick up their first win of the season, cutting Portland's lead to just three points late in the game, but they also cannot afford any further injury.

Murray's status vs. Grizzlies

Murray is now listed as questionable for Sunday's matchup against the Grizzlies due to left ankle capsulitis, as Kings insider James Ham gave more insight into his new injury.

"Hearing Keegan Murray’s disappearance during Friday night’s game was not a trip to the locker room - he was on a bike in the tunnel. Also hearing he is experiencing some stiffness in the ankle that he had surgery on in May and there is a chance he’ll be listed as questionable for tomorrow," Ham posted before Murray was officially listed as questionable.

Obviously, the Kings need Murray on the floor. Not only does he make a big impact, but the team desperately needs him to find his rhythm, and he can't do that from the sideline.

Through two games so far, Murray is averaging just 7.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game while shooting 29.4% from the field and has yet to hit a three-pointer. Coming off a very disappointing 2025-26 season that was plagued by injuries, the Kings need Murray to prove why he deserved a five-year, $140 million contract extension, but they are still waiting to see if they made the right decision.

If Murray cannot stay healthy or find an offensive rhythm when on the court, his contract could quickly become one of the league's worst. Of course, Kings fans have stayed patient with the 26-year-old forward, but this could be a make-or-break season for him.

With Murray potentially sidelined for Sunday's game, the Kings could turn to Daeqwon Plowden, Jonathan Mogbo, or rookie Alex Karaban to start in his place, but we can hope he is good to go for this winnable game against the Grizzlies.

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