Source: Sacramento Kings rookie Keegan Murray placed under NBA health and safety protocols
Kings rookie Keegan Murray has entered NBA health and safety protocols, leaving his status for Wednesday’s season opener against the Portland Trail Blazers in question, a league source told The Sacramento Bee.
A source with knowledge of the situation said Murray entered the league’s protocol system Friday night as the Kings concluded preseason play with a 133-86 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Murray will not participate in Fan Fest on Sunday at Golden 1 Center and his status for Wednesday’s game against the Blazers is uncertain, the source said, adding Murray will be reevaluated daily. The 22-year-old forward missed Sacramento’s last two preseason games due to what the team initially described as a non-COVID-19 illness. He participated in Thursday’s practice but was ruled out for Friday’s game against the Lakers.
Murray, who came out of Iowa as the No. 4 pick in June’s NBA draft, led the Kings in scoring with 16 points in each of their first two preseason games. Murray was remarkably efficient in those games, shooting 70.6% from the field and 70% from 3-point range.
Murray is widely regarded as a top Rookie of the Year candidate following a strong summer for Sacramento. His summer run started with a stellar showing at the California Classic, where he averaged 19.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals to lead the Kings to a 3-0 record.
Murray went on to win the Las Vegas Summer League MVP award after averaging 23.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 50% from the field and 40% from 3-point range. He was also an All-Summer League First Team selection along with Tari Eason (Houston Rockets), Quentin Grimes (New York Knicks), Sandro Mamukelashvili (Milwaukee Bucks) and Cam Thomas (Brooklyn Nets).
This story was originally published October 15, 2022 at 3:14 PM.
