The Kings announced today that forward Keegan Murray underwent an arthroscopic procedure to remove loose bodies in his left ankle and will be reevaluated in six to eight weeks. Murray played just 23 games this past season dealing with a variety of injuries, but this ankle was the cause of the largest absence.
Murray missed the first part of the season with a UCL tear in his left thumb. He didn’t end up making his season debut until November 20th, about a month into the regular season. Then about a month later on December 23rd against the Detroit Pistons, he suffered a mild calf strain that caused him to miss the next couple games before he returned for four games and then suffered a moderate left ankle sprain on January 4th against the Milwaukee Bucks. Murray made his return on February 19th after the All-Star break, but played just four more games after he reaggravated the ankle early on in a game against the Houston Rockets. The last update the Kings provided on Murray came on March 25th where they mentioned that he had been cleared for contact basketball activities, but there were no further updates until today when the procedure was announced.
The Kings signed Murray to a five year, $140 million contract extension prior to the 2025-26 season. Hopefully Murray can use this summer to get healthy again as he’s a big factor for this team on both ends of the court, but particularly on the defensive end where he had grown into an excellent defender and was routinely tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best player on a nightly basis.
Surprised they didn’t do this earlier in the year. Heal up Keegan.
Probably tried letting heal first, to avoid surgery, and it just couldn’t be avoided.
At least they didn’t wait until September to do it.
Now we tank.
“Tanking after the lottery? Go on…”
Basketball 3.0
Thank god we have a coach with such impeccable moral character that he’d never tank. Doesn’t believe in it.
I think another name to consider at 7 is Yaxel Lendebourg.
I’d like him a lot more if he were 19. The dude is a full 4 years older than Flemings, Acuff, or Wagler. From that, I don’t think he falls below G.S. or OKC at #11 or #12. He’s a win now kind of rookie.
I like him as well, but to your point, he is old, even for a senior. Oldest player in the draft. Almost a year older than Stirtz, who is the next oldest player in the draft. He will be 24 before the season begins, which would have made this an automatic pick for Monte.
I think that he’s the kind of guy that will wind up being better than more than a few guys selected ahead of him, but he’s not the swing the Kings should be taking at 7.
Yeah, I think he’s very definition of high floor, low ceiling. You’d
be banking that any of the other guys you are picking who are 19 will be better by the time they are 24 than Yaxel is now.
Also, I think he’s a guy that has a better chance to excel as a role player at OKC or SA or GS (etc.) than as the guy that a franchise hangs its future on.
He would have been a nice pick after the 22-23 season. Older guy that could fit in as a role player on a team looking to get better. Put him in the Trey Lyles role that season, for example.
But this Kings team? Nah, he’s not the right guy for this Kings team.
Great point.
Which is why the Kings will trade back for both of OKC’s picks and he’ll be the one they take at #12!
Just imagine the vitriol around here if the Kings pick to seniors in Yaxel at PF and Stirtz at PG in “win-now” philosophy.
incredible take…make it so lol
Which, of course, makes him exactly the right guy for this Kings organization.
I am factoring age. I currently have Acuff and Wagler above Yaxel and probably Mikel Brown above him also. (Want to watch a couple more games). Still think it’s worth discussing Yaxel in a supply and demand way.
How do you mean supply and demand?
I don’t dislike the guy, in fact I think he’s a solid player, but he’s a guy you want to target when you need the last piece or two around a solid core. The Kings just aren’t in that kind of situation.
modern nba 4 … with length (6’10” with 7’4″ wingspan), ability to guard 3 through 5, shoots threes, attacks close-outs, can take a mismatch one-on-one, good handles, good passer, ambidextrous, good assist to turnover ratio, gets stocks without fouling too much, good IQ, decent rebounder. plus he seems to have good intangibles.
all of that is high demand and short supply.
I’m not crossing off others yet. Still going to watch a bit more of some other players that have been mentioned here, including Kingston Flemings. At the same time, it’s too early to cross Yaxel off the list.
If the Kings stay at 7 and select Yaxel, they’ll be in the same boat as last season. No PG. Unless they have some deal in place for Ja or some other lead guard, it doesn’t make sense to me.
That’s not a knock on Yaxel, it’s just the situation that the Kings are in with the current roster.
I do like Kingston. He’s not the flashy scorer like Acuff, but I think he is the more well rounded player.
If there is some scenario where the Kings get rid of DDR, trade LaVine for Ja and a pick, then select Yaxel, I could rationalize it, but wouldn’t be the biggest fan of it.
A starting 5 of: Ja, Nique, Keegan, Yaxel, and Sabonis is a better product than last season, but it’s still not ideal. Then again, nothing is ideal for the Kangz.
Or how about Ja, Hunter, Keegan, Yaxel, Sabonis.
Surely there is a PG on the FA market that Perry can massively overpay for bench-level production…
Currently no cap space to spend in FA other then vet minimums.
Surely there is a PG on the FA market that Perry can pay a vet minimum to that isn’t even remotely worth that amount.
(Sorry…my level of patience with this franchise is at an all-time low while my snark is at an all-time high. Don’t mean to direct this at you.)
LOL, well played!
The Kings can just exercise the $3M option on Killian Hayes to fill that role!
Win now you say? Go on…
Why not trading the 7 to OKC for Jared McCain?
Probably because OKC does not want that rookie scale contract. They’re more likely to try to trade their picks for future picks.
They can get Mara on a rookie contract and replace Hartenstein.
Yup.
I’m just at a point where I simply no longer believe that this franchise will do anything – anything at all – that makes even a modicum of sense.
This is, to quote Bill Callahan of the Raiders back in 2004, “the dumbest team in America”.
The laughingstock of the NBA.
The most ridiculous franchise in professional sports.
I should probably stay off of this board for while. I just cannot be remotely positive about any aspect of this organization and the collection of absolute morons running it.
all other laughingstocks are embarrassed to be lumped together with the Kangz
Badge Legend