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Kings Star Predicted to Sign $30 Million Per Year Contract
Jan 10, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10), forward Keegan Murray (13) and forward Domantas Sabonis (11) react after defeating the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images David Butler II-Imagn Images

Kings Star Predicted to Sign $30 Million Per Year Contract

Originally posted on Sacramento Kings on SI
By Logan Struck  |  Last updated Jun 24, 2025 8:59 AM ET

The Sacramento Kings are commonly knocked for their minimal sense of direction and lack of a solid young core, but new general manager Scott Perry will likely change that. While it is challenging to turn around a franchise that has made just one playoff appearance over the last 19 years, reports would suggest that Perry is steering the ship in the right direction.

While the Kings' lack of a young core is concerning, they have guys like Keegan Murray, 24, and Keon Ellis, 25, who have shown enough potential to stay in the team's long-term plans.

However, to keep them around, the Kings will certainly have to pay up. This offseason, Ellis is entering the final year of his contract with a team option, which the Kings will likely either decline and re-sign him or opt in and extend his deal, but Murray is due for a new contract as well.

Murray is eligible for a contract extension this offseason as he enters the final year of his rookie deal, and he is expected to receive a huge raise.

Bleacher Report's Dan Favale made a bold offseason prediction for the Kings: "Keegan Murray gets $30 million per year in an extension."

"Keegan Murray is eligible for a rookie-scale extension this summer that can pay him up to $190.5 million over four years or $246.7 million over five years. He shouldn't get the max, but he's going to get puh-aid," Favale wrote. "Jaden McDaniels (five years, $131 million) and Trey Murphy III (four years, $112 million) will be popular starting-point comps. Murray will secure noticeably more."

Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

This season, Murray averaged 12.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.7 stocks per game with 44.4/34.3/83.3 shooting splits, having the worst shooting year of his young career thus far. Still, Murray grew enough on the defensive side of the ball to show the Kings what kind of two-way beast he can become when hitting his shots.

Murray had to take a significant step back offensively this season with the addition of DeMar DeRozan, and with the veteran forward expected to get traded this summer, Murray could find some more comfort next year. His defensive ability alone will get him a healthy raise, but mixing that in with his offensive potential, the Kings should dig into their pockets to keep him around.

"Bake in his defensive growth year-over-year, along with Sacramento's desperate need for some semblance of stability, and Murray has both the skill set and leverage necessary to eclipse the $30-million-per-year benchmark," Favale finished.

Murray certainly deserves a big contract extension, although the franchise needs to see more offensive consistency out of him. This season, Murray had more games with five or fewer points than he did with 20 or more. While Murray does not need to be an elite scorer, the Kings simply need him to be consistent.

Sacramento's most unlikely players to be traded this offseason should be Murray and Ellis, as Perry will certainly dig into the organization's pockets to make sure they can keep them both around long-term.

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This article first appeared on Sacramento Kings on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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