Any minor hope of the Golden State Warriors acquiring Keegan Murray in a potential Jonathan Kuminga trade has been officially extinguished. In a move solidifying the young forward’s future, the Sacramento Kings came to terms with Murray on a massive five-year, $140 million extension on Wednesday, as first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania.
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This new contract is not only a long-term investment but also effectively takes Murray off the trade table completely until at least next offseason. The “poison pill” nature of rookie extensions makes it nearly impossible to trade the player in their fourth year due to complex financial rules. This eliminates Murray from any potential mid-season discussions, even if the Kings were to renew their interest in Kuminga.
Sacramento had previously been the leading contender for the Warriors’ forward during his protracted free agency stalemate this past offseason. However, sign-and-trade negotiations never gained significant traction, ultimately leading Kuminga to re-sign with Golden State on a two-year, $48.5 million deal (with a second-year team option).
Murray’s extension is certain to impact the Kings’ potential desire to re-enter the Kuminga market, despite the likelihood that the Warriors will make the 23-year-old available again once he becomes trade-eligible on January 15th. While Murray had been the dream target for many Warrior fans during the sign-and-trade rumors, this extension proves that was never a realistic possibility, given how highly the Kings value their former fourth overall pick.
Instead, Sacramento had offered multiple packages, starting with Devin Carter, Dario Saric, and two second-round picks, before upgrading the offer to include Malik Monk and a protected future first-round pick. Golden State balked at the latter offer partly due to base-year compensation rules and the fact they would have had to move either Buddy Hield or Moses Moody to make the finances work—a hurdle that may not exist if the teams re-engage in talks mid-season.
Murray’s extension lands on the same day the franchise signed former MVP Russell Westbrook, making the Kings’ roster construction even more intriguing. A key question now is how much offensive opportunity the 6’8″ forward will receive upon his return from a thumb injury, given the team’s abundance of on-ball players, including the newly added Westbrook and Dennis Schroder, alongside Monk, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Domantas Sabonis.