Good news has been hard to come by for the Sacramento Kings this season, but after one of the roughest stretches of basketball we’ve seen in years from the franchise, help is finally on the way with Keegan Murray’s planned return to the court on Thursday, according to Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee.
Now let’s start with this. Murray’s return isn’t going to make the Kings contenders, or likely even a good basketball team. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be great for him to get back to playing not only for the team to get back to winning at least a few more games, but for the young wings development going foward.
It’s a pivotal year for the fourth-year wing, who averaged 12.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists on 44.4% shooting from the field and 34.3% from three last season. With the Kings stuck in the bottom of the standings, they’d be best to hand over the keys to Murray just to see if he can carry a team.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few of the trickle-down effects that his return will have for the team.
Precious Achiuwa’s Return to Ideal Role
When the Kings signed Precious Achiuwa, it wasn’t a surprise that he eventually worked his way into the starting lineup. While it’s not been a role he’s had every night, he’s the clear best option as the biggest forward option to start at the four.
But even though he’s looked decent in the role, it’s clear he’s not a starter, at least with this team as currently constructed. He’s averaged 5.9 points and 4.1 rebounds in 16.9 minutes per game. His shifting back down to the second unit and not having to guard the top wing option should not only help him, but also help the Kings spread out their defensive players in different lineups.
Who Takes Fewer Shots?
Nov 16, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (11) shoots in the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
Murray’s return means at least 10 shots will be coming off the board from the rest of the team, and as previously discussed, hopefully more. Those shots won’t just appear out of thin air, but will have to come from somewhere.
The Kings don’t currently have a single player who is leading the team in shots by a long-shot, so it will likely be a slight decrease for a few different players. Zach LaVine is leading the way with 15.3 FGAs per game, DeMar DeRozan is second at 14.1, Domantas Sabonis is at 13.2, and both Russell Westbrook and Dennis Schroder are at 11.6.
DeRozan is already averaging the fewest shots since 2010-11, so his attempts likely won’t go down much. And the Kings need LaVine to stay aggressive if they hope to keep up on offense. That leaves Sabonis, Westbrook, and Schroder as the three players who will likely see slight dips in their shooting.
Which isn’t a bad thing, as it would translate a good amount of shots from two-point attempts to threes, something the team desperately needs.
Who Falls Out of the Rotation
It’s one thing for shots to be redistributed, but it’s another thing to take a look at the rotation as a whole. Murray’s return gives Doug Christie 11 good options to use on a nightly basis. From the six players listed above (Sabonis, DeRozan, LaVine, Westbrook, Schroder, and Achiuwa) to the other four players we’ve seen consistently in the rotation (Keon Ellis, Drew Eubanks, Malik Monk, and Nique Clifford).
Devin Carter has already been on the outside looking in, and his return to the rotation seems even more unlikely unless there are injuries or trades. That leaves the likely candidates of Ellis, Clifford, and Achiuwa.
Achiuwa is the most likely player to be on the outs when looking at straight skill, but he brings something the other two don’t: size. He may have to play just out of necessity, but at the same time, Christie hasn’t been afraid to go small throughout the year so far.
Between Ellis and Clifford, Ellis is the fan favorite, but Clifford gets the slight nod in what we’ve seen out of Christie’s preferences so far this season. The rookie doesn’t have the same defensive flare that Ellis does, but plays steady in multiple facets of the game in a way the Ellis isn’t able to replicate.
Only time will tell who loses minutes, but there’s a definite possibility that burden falls once again to Ellis. Kings fans have voiced their displeasure with that already this season, but Christie has to do what he has to do, and at the end of the day, he’s still trying to win games. Even with all of these questions, it will be great for the Kings to get Murray back on the court.
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