Keegan Murray Injury Update
Keegan Murray’s latest injury update isn’t what Kings fans wanted: the forward exited the Bucks game with a left ankle sprain and was ruled out, adding another setback to an already choppy season. It’s a tough blow for a team sitting at 8–28 and already banged up elsewhere. In this guide, readers get the full Keegan Murray injury update, his recent stats, and what this means for Sacramento’s rotation.
Keegan Murray’s stop-start season took another hit on Sunday night, January 4, as the Sacramento Kings forward exited a 115–98 home loss to the Milwaukee Bucks at Golden 1 Center with a left ankle sprain late in the third quarter. Sacramento was already down 81–56 when Murray drove to the rim, landed awkwardly and needed help to the locker room, ending his night with 12 points, 3 rebounds and 2 blocks in 27 minutes on 6-of-14 shooting. Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) reported on X that Keegan Murray rolled his left ankle on a play and needed help to the locker room, as the Sacramento Kings continue to battle injuries this season.
ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) reported on X that Keegan Murray was helped off the court and taken to the locker room due to an ankle injury.
Murray’s injury came with 4:01 left in the third, when he attacked a hard closeout from Gary Trent Jr., went up over Myles Turner and came down on Turner’s foot, violently twisting his left ankle. He tried to limp toward the bench but quickly needed two staffers to help him off, and within minutes the Kings ruled him out for the rest of the game with a left ankle sprain. From the TV angles, it was one of those landings you don’t need a replay to know is bad.
Postgame, interim head coach Doug Christie didn’t sugarcoat the mood but also didn’t overstep the medical staff. “I don’t know yet. It’s not for me to speculate,” he told reporters, saying the team will gather information and update once imaging and evaluation are complete. The only firm label right now is that “left ankle sprain” tag, and it’s unclear if this is a short absence or something that costs him weeks.
What makes this more frustrating is that Murray had just worked his way back into rhythm. He’d recently missed games with a calf issue after already losing time earlier in the season to surgery for a torn UCL in his left thumb, and he’d only just rejoined the starting group in a blowout loss to the Clippers before this Bucks matchup. On Sunday he looked active early—two coast-to-coast plays, a steal, a couple of rim contests—before the ankle gave out.
There’s no updated full-game line yet beyond the initial 12-3-2 block stat line, but his recent stretch was quietly solid given how bad the Kings have been. Sacramento is 8–28 after the Bucks loss, sitting in the West basement and already dealing with Domantas Sabonis out with a knee injury until late January, so losing their best two-way forward again hits both ends of the floor. Nique Clifford is the first in line for extra minutes at the three, with Keon Ellis’ defense also likely to be leaned on if Murray misses time.
Christie called the team’s injury run “hard” and you could hear it in his voice. Some will remember this was supposed to be Murray’s clean platform year after the front office showed real faith with a five-year, $140 million extension; instead, his thumb, calf and now ankle have chopped it into frustrating chunks. It’s a little concerning to see that pattern building on a 25-year-old wing who plays such a central role.
Short term, the Kings go out on the road to face the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night at American Airlines Center, and Murray’s status there is genuinely up in the air. Given the sprain severity on video, plus his recent soft-tissue issues, it’d be no surprise if he’s listed as doubtful or out on the first injury report while the medical team gets a better read. For a team already spiraling, every game he misses nudges the season further into “evaluation mode.
Disclaimer:
This content summarizes publicly available reports on Keegan Murray’s injury status, game availability, and recent statistics as of the latest Kings–Bucks matchup. Team medical evaluations, rotations, and official updates can change quickly, so readers should confirm key details through Sacramento Kings announcements and trusted NBA news outlets.
