Ranking Kings' Replacement Options Following Keegan Murray's Injury

They'll need everyone to step up in his absence, but let's take a look at the options they have to fill in as the fifth starting and rank them by who can replace the young wing the best.

1. Keon Ellis

Keon Ellis is arguably the most 'starter-ready' player on the team. He started 28 games for the Kings last season and is not only one of the team's best defenders, but also one of their best shooters. He doesn't have the size that Murray does, but he could guard the best perimeter player on the opposing team between the 1-3 spots.

He also has a career 42.9% three-point shooting percentage that would slot in perfectly next to Zach LaVine. Fans have been clamoring for Ellis to start for years, and while it happening at the expense of a Murray injury isn't ideal, they could finally get their wish.

2. Nique Clifford

While Ellis has the best defense and shooting of all of the reserves, Clifford is the closest player when it comes to size and skill set to Murray. Keegan is a few inches taller, but Clifford has a few inches on Ellis and would allow the Kings to be a little bit bigger on the court.

It would be a trial by fire for the rookie, but he's shown promise in Summer League and preseason, and looks ready to contribute now. It's hard to think of a better scenario for him to get the needed experience in the NBA than throwing him straight into the starting lineup.

While starting Ellis would shift both Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan up a position, Clifford could play the small forward spot while DeRozan plays the four. That would leave LaVine at his natural position of shooting guard and give the Kings a little more size, but with a much more unproven option of Clifford over Ellis.

3. Dario Šarić

On the opposite side of the spectrum, there's the veteran option in Dario Šarić. Šarić came into the season as mostly an afterthought in what was seen as a money-saving trade, but he knocked down all four of his three-point attempts en route to 14 points in the second preseason game.

Šarić would be a huge drop-off defensively from Murray, but he has the size and shooting to make certain lineups work. The last time Saric started more than a dozen games was the 2019-20 season with the Phoenix Suns, where he averaged 10.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists.

He's had a few spot starts since then, but saw his playing time disappear last year in Denver. If he's trying to show he still belongs in the league, his doing well in the starting spot would certainly get that job done.

4. Isaac Jones

Much like Saric, it's unclear if Jones has the defensive ability to work with the starting lineup. He's a hyper-athletic big, but hasn't had a chance to prove his perimeter defense yet in his young career.

The upside of starting Jones is that he can still contribute with minimal to no planned usage by getting on the boards and being in the dunker spot for drop-off passes. Between the options of Šarić and Jones, he has more long-term potential. It would be a big gamble to put him into the starting lineup so early in the season, but it could pay off for years down the line if it works out.

5. Maxime Raynaud

Coming in at what seems like the least likely option is another rookie in Maxime Raynaud. Raynaud has the potential to play alongside Domantas Sabonis thanks to his ability to shoot from three, but he's the only player on this list who doesn't appear to be part of the rotation to start the season.

It's another move that would be geared toward the future. The defense would be a big question mark between him and Sabonis, but having two bigs on the court is becoming more of the norm again in the NBA, and this would certainly be the biggest lineup option for the Kings.

No matter who Doug Christie and the rest of the coaching staff decide to go with, they have a tough road ahead. The beginning of the schedule was already a gauntlet, and now they have to face it without one of their most important players.