Sacramento Kings pick up options on Murray, Mitchell & Duarte

The Sacramento Kings are having a busy weekend ahead of Wednesday’s regular-season opener in Utah.

Shortly following the unveiling of the team’s 2023-24 Nike City Edition uniforms, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news that Sacramento has picked up future options on three players:

Second-year forward Keegan Murray, defensive guard Davion Mitchell, and recently acquired guard-forward Chris Duarte.

As expected, the Sacramento Kings are picking up the third-year option on forward Keegan Murray and fourth years on guards Davion Mitchell and Chris Duarte, sources said.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 21, 2023

Kings general manager Monte McNair seemingly struck gold during last year’s NBA Draft when he selected Murray with the fourth-overall pick.

Following an impressive rookie season that saw Murray break the NBA’s rookie three-point record and receive an All-Rookie First Team nod, Sacramento has picked up the 2024-25 option on the 6’8 forward.

Murray’s role is expected to increase with the Kings during this upcoming season, and the Iowa product will likely be a part of what this core is building for years to come.

Along with Murray’s third-year option, Sacramento is also picking up fourth-year options on Mitchell and Duarte for 2024-25.

Mitchell is the Kings’ strongest on-ball defender and the backup point guard to All-Star point guard De’Aaron Fox, and following an offseason that involved several workouts with Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry’s shooting coach, the Baylor alumni could be in line for a big season in 2023-24.

Duarte is entering his first season with Sacramento after spending the first two seasons of his career with the Indiana Pacers. The 6’6 wing is expected to be in head coach Mike Brown’s rotation, and he has upside on both sides of the ball–something that this current Kings roster can benefit from.

All three players will be restricted free agents at the conclusion of their rookie scale contracts (Murray after 2025-26; Mitchell and Duarte after 2024-25), meaning Sacramento will have the right to match any offer sheet that the players may sign in free agency.

Next Game

Next time, it’s for real.

The Kings will open their 2023-24 regular season on Wednesday night in Salt Lake City, Utah, for a matchup against the Utah Jazz.

Be sure to tune in right here on Sactown Sports 1140 for all of your Kings vs. Jazz coverage, beginning at 4:30 PM PST on Game Night before a 6:00 PM PST tip-off from downtown Salt Lake City.

Sacramento Kings 2023-24 Regular Season Schedule

• Wednesday, October 25th – Sacramento Kings @ Utah Jazz – 6 PM PST (Season Opener)
• Friday, October 27th – Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors – 7 PM PST (Home Opener)
• Sunday, October 29th – Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Lakers – 6 PM PST
• Wednesday, November 1st – Sacramento Kings @ Golden State Warriors – 7 PM PST
• Saturday, November 4th – Sacramento Kings @ Houston Rockets – 5 PM PST
• Monday, November 6th – Sacramento Kings @ Houston Rockets – 5 PM PST

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