Keegan Murray's preseason thumb injury is a setback, both for him and for the Sacramento Kings. But the team can still make the best of a bad situation and shuffle the starting five to get an outstanding rookie some big minutes. That rookie would be Nique Clifford.
Already suffering a rough preseason, Murray's injury only made things worse. He tore his left UCL, undergoing surgery on it. His recovery is expected to take four to six weeks. That assumes everything goes to plan, of course.
If it doesn't, his absence could be significantly longer. The Kings don't want to rush Murray back and hamper his recovery.