Los Angeles is exploring two-way wing options this summer, with Keegan Murray emerging as a plausible fit. But the Sacramento Kings’ willingness to move him is a real question after signing him to a five-year extension in October.
The Lakers’ offseason wish list is already starting to take shape. and it’s not hard to see what they want: more complete two-way wings who can stay on the floor and actually defend. For a front office trying to build around Luka Doncic. that kind of wing has become the cleanest path to moving on from players who can’t reliably impact both ends.
Rob Pelinka has been looking at that exact profile as the team weighs whether to move on from one-dimensional fits like Rui Hachimura and Luke Kennard.
Into that conversation comes a name that’s been getting attention as a possible trade target: Sacramento Kings wing Keegan Murray.
A recent episode of the Buha’s Block podcast featured NBA analyst Iztok Franko, who laid out why Murray fits the Lakers’ direction—and why he may be more than just a smaller version of what they’ve already tried.
“One other guy that I was thinking [for the Lakers] was Keegan Murray in Sacramento,” Franko said. “He reminds me of Devin Vassell … He’s a guy who can defend the bigs and can do more than just be a standstill shooter.”
That “defend the bigs” piece matters in Los Angeles because Hachimura’s role has often pushed him into spots he didn’t always cover cleanly—playing the 4 or even the 5 in small-ball lineups coached by JJ Redick. If the Lakers are trying to keep their wing core from feeling stretched. a player who can guard in those matchups without breaking the whole shape of the defense would be a major upgrade.
Murray isn’t a direct clone of Trey Murphy III, but the comparison points to the broader prototype: young, long, athletic wings who play defense. Even Murphy’s own situation is described as difficult to acquire, which is part of why Murray is being discussed as a more realistic alternative.
The timing of the move also matters. The Lakers might need to act in the trade market this summer if their restricted free-agent targets on the wing—most notably Peyton Watson—don’t work out. In that scenario. Murray would represent a swing at immediate roster improvement rather than waiting for an ideal landing spot through free agency.
Still, the biggest question hanging over any Murray idea isn’t whether he can play—it’s whether Sacramento would actually let him go.
Because the evaluation can’t stop with the 2025-26 season. where Murray suffered from multiple injuries and appeared in only 23 games for Sacramento. The case for him is built earlier, across his first three seasons. In those years, Murray averaged 13.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists for the Kings, shooting 37.2% from 3. He appeared in 76 games or more in all three campaigns.
He’s also got a pedigree that keeps expectations grounded: a No. 4 overall pick by the Kings out of Iowa in 2022, and he finished No. 5 in Rookie of the Year voting. Winning for a franchise isn’t something rookies always get to learn early. and Franko’s point about Murray being more than a “standstill shooter” tracks with how the player has been described in his role.
On the other side of the ledger is the deal Sacramento already made.
Murray is coming off a major commitment from the Kings: the team signed him to a five-year extension in October, an extension that begins this coming season. The Lakers can’t ignore what that means. Sacramento clearly like Murray enough to invest in him long-term.
At the same time, if the Lakers are serious about upgrading the wing, Pelinka would still need to check in—because “not likely” isn’t the same as “impossible,” and trade talks are often where the real answers start.
For now. Murray looks like the kind of athletic. versatile defensive wing the Lakers want to surround Luka Doncic with—more dynamic overall than Hachimura. with the added benefit of being younger. But whether that fit becomes a reality may depend less on Murray’s ability and more on the Kings’ willingness to break the very plan they already paid for.
Los Angeles Lakers Rob Pelinka Luka Doncic Rui Hachimura Luke Kennard Keegan Murray Sacramento Kings restricted free agent Peyton Watson Iztok Franko Buha's Block trade market wing defense