Keegan Murray Injury Update: Kings Star Faces Months of Recovery but Secures Massive Contract Extension
The Sacramento Kings’ Keegan Murray star forward, is starting the 2025–26 NBA season on the sidelines, nursing a torn UCL in his left thumb. The injury happened during a preseason game against Portland last Friday one of those little freak moments that end up being way more serious than they look. Murray left the game early, and by the end of the night, the Kings had already ruled him out. James Ham tweeted on X ( Twitter) that Keegan Murray underwent successful surgery on his left thumb and will be reevaluated in 4-6 weeks.
A few days later, he was in New York City under the knife. The surgery went well, according to reports, but the timeline isn’t exactly short. The team says they’ll re‑evaluate him in four to six weeks, but if you ask medical experts like Stanford Medicine’s Dr. Amy Ladd, it could be closer to three months before Murray’s good to go. She told NBC Sports California that ligament repairs take time. Three to six months is standard. Even if he’s cleared earlier, he’ll likely be wearing a protective splint and playing cautiously, at least for a bit.
Now, the silver lining is that it’s his left thumb, not the right one he shoots with. But as Dr. Ladd pointed out, basketball’s a “bimanual” sport, you’re using both hands constantly. The left hand’s not just chilling on the sidelines. It’s catching passes, guiding dribbles, and poking at loose balls on defense. In short, this isn’t an injury you just tape up and forget about.
If we’re going by Dr. Ladd’s timeline, mid to late December might be the earliest we see Murray back. That’s roughly 10–15 games missed, depending on how cautious the team wants to be. But honestly, with this being his contract year and thumb injuries being notoriously tricky, it wouldn’t hurt (pun intended) to err on the side of patience.
Speaking of contracts, Murray actually just signed a new one. The Kings locked him up on a five‑year, $140 million deal, no options, just a straightforward commitment. It’s a bold move that shows how much they believe in him, even while he’s rehabbing. That’s an average of $28 million per season, which feels fair for a player who’s quietly become one of the best two‑way forwards in the league. Shams Charania tweeted on X ( Twitter) that Keegan Murray has agreed to a five-year, $140 million rookie contract extension with the Sacramento Kings, securing him through 2030-31.
The timing’s bittersweet, though. The Kings are trying to build something real under Scott Perry and Doug Christie. They’ve brought in Dennis Schroder to steady the point, and the idea was for Murray to settle into his sweet spot guarding wings, not chasing tiny guards around all night. Without him, that defensive balance takes a hit. Last season, he averaged 12.4 points and 6.7 boards, a little dip from the year before, sure, but that had more to do with the ball‑hungry additions of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan than anything else.
Disclaimer:
This article is based on publicly available reports and expert commentary as of October 2025. Medical timelines are subject to change depending on player recovery, team updates, and official announcements.
