Sacramento Kings confirmed that main forward Keegan Murray injured his left thumb in a preseason game against the Portland Trail Blazers. He was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) and will undergo surgery.

The surgery is expected to require a 4-6 week recovery period, meaning Murray will miss at least the first 10 games of the regular season, leaving the Kings without a key player at the start of the new season. Murray underwent an MRI to confirm the injury, and surgery will be scheduled as soon as possible.

The team said Murray will undergo a review after the surgery and the specific time of his return will be determined based on his recovery progress. This injury is considered the most serious in his career.

Murray is now at a critical juncture in his career, about to enter his fourth season in the NBA and eligible to complete an early contract extension with the team before October 20. If the two sides cannot reach an agreement, he will become a restricted free agent in the summer of 2026.

Since being selected by the Kings with the fourth pick in 2022, Murray has quickly become an important member of the team with his stable performance. He played in 233 of the 246 games in the first three seasons, including 231 starts, showing excellent durability and improvement.

Last season, Murray averaged 12.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, and made a total of 543 three-pointers. He has both outside firepower and wing defense capabilities, and is one of the core players of the Kings on both offense and defense.

Murray's absence will undoubtedly bring challenges to the Kings at the beginning of the season, but I believe the team will fill the gap through teamwork and strive to remain competitive before his return.