Murray out for Kings' season opener, remains in COVID protocol

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Keegan Murray's NBA debut will have to wait.

The Kings' rookie remains in the league's health and safety protocol and officially is listed as out for Wednesday's season opener against the Portland Trail Blazers at Golden 1 Center. Murray first entered protocol on Saturday. 

Sacramento ended the NBA preseason with a 4-0 record following its 133-86 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night and hopes to carry that momentum into the regular season. However, the Kings now will have to begin the season without Murray, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and the Summer League MVP.

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Murray was under consideration to start at power forward, but with his absence, it appears likely that KZ Okpala will get the nod.

Coach Mike Brown and the Kings have been handed their first test of adversity this season, and it will be interesting to see how they respond with Murray forced to miss Wednesday's game.

Tip-off is at 7 p.m., with "Kings Pregame Live" beginning at 6:30 p.m. You can watch on NBC Sports California and streaming on the MyTeams app.

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