No surprises here.
Sacramento has picked up the third-year option on forward Keegan Murray's contract along with the fourth-year options on Davion Mitchell and Chris Duarte's deals, the team announced Sunday. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the news on Saturday.
The moves come over a week before the Oct. 31 deadline for teams to exercise rookie-scale options for the 2024-2025 NBA season.
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Murray is fresh off a promising 2022-23 campaign where he broke the NBA record for most 3-pointers in a rookie season, helping lead the Kings to their first playoff appearance in 16 years. The No. 4 overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft is living up to expectations thus far after averaging 12.2 points on 45.3-percent shooting from the field, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 29.8 minutes per game last season.
And now, the Kings will ride with the 23-year-old through at least the next two.
Duarte, whom the Kings acquired in a trade with the Indiana Pacers this offseason, has impressed coach Mike Brown in Sacramento with his defensive efforts so far despite struggling with a reduced role and injuries in 2022-23. The No. 13 overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft has limited experience, but could thrive after being reunited with former Pacers teammate Domantas Sabonis in the deal.
Mitchell was selected four picks before Duarte in 2021 at No. 9 overall and has established himself as a reliable contributor on both sides of the ball for the Kings. Backing up NBA All-Star De'Aaron Fox is no tall ask, but Mitchell has done so exceptionally as a two-way talent now expected to take a third-year leap. And after steps the 25-year-old took this offseason to improve offensively, that breakout certainly could be coming.
NBA
Sacramento has what general manager Monte McNair has described as the "luxury" of a young roster. And now, the Kings have their youthful core locked up for the foreseeable future.