Kings’ Keegan Murray out for start of season with UCL tear

Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb during a preseason loss in Portland on Friday night, the team announced.

Murray will undergo surgery and be reevaluated in four to six weeks, ruling the Kings’ young power forward out for at least the first 10 games of the regular season.

The injury comes at a pivotal time in Murray’s career. Entering his fourth season, he is eligible for a contract extension in the next week. The deadline to come to an agreement with the Kings is Oct. 20. If they can’t, Murray will enter restricted free agency next summer.

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Murray has been a pillar of durability early in his NBA career, appearing in 233 of a possible 246 games his first three seasons, starting all but two of them. This UCL tear is the most significant injury he has suffered as a pro.

Murray was the projected starting power forward for a Kings team attempting to compete for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. He has made 543 career 3s and developed into a versatile defender on the wing, meaning the Kings will be without a crucial floor spacer and their most trusted stopper in the opening month.

Veteran forward Dario Saric, veteran guard Malik Monk, fourth-year guard Keon Ellis and rookie Nique Clifford are among the candidates who could start in Murray’s place. Dennis Schroder, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis are the four other expected starters.

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