Today, the NBA announced the Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray has been named to the 2024 Panini Rising Stars for a second consecutive season. He is the fifth player in franchise history to be selected to participate in both their rookie and sophomore seasons.
In his second season, Murray is averaging 15.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game in 41 games while shooting 46.2% from the field. Among first or second-year players, he ranks sixth in points, second in steals and first in 3s per game (2.3). Murray is sixth in total points (645), tied for second in steals (48) and first in 3-pointers made (96) among rookie and sophomores this season.
Murray scored a career-high 47 points in a win vs. Utah on Dec. 16, 2023 as he went 12-for-15 from 3-point range, setting the franchise single-game record for made 3s. Murray’s 12 3-point field goals are the most in a game in the NBA this season while his 47 points is the highest single-game scoring output by a first or second-year player.
The pool of 28 players for Panini Rising Stars consists of 11 first-year NBA players, 10 second-year NBA players and seven NBA G League players.
The 21 NBA players, selected by NBA assistant coaches, will be drafted onto three seven-player teams. The seven NBA G League players, selected by the NBA league office, will comprise the fourth team.
To select the 21 NBA player participants, each NBA team submitted a rookie ballot and sophomore ballot featuring four frontcourt players, four guards and two additional players of any position, in order of preference. Coaches were not allowed to vote for any player on their team.
Points were awarded based on where a player was ranked on each ballot, and the players with the highest total points made the cut.
Panini Rising Stars will feature four seven-player teams competing in a mini-tournament consisting of three games. Each game will be played to a Final Target Score, meaning that a game will end with a made basket or a made free throw instead of the clock running out.
Sacramento has featured 18 players in the Rookie or Rising Stars Challenge dating back to 1994, with the most recent being Murray in 2022. Bogdan Bogdanovic (2018) and Tyreke Evans (2010) hold the distinction as the two rookies in franchise history to have earned MVP honors of the game.
Sacramento Kings All-Star Rookie/Sophomore Game Participants
1994 Bobby Hurley (Honorary Coach)
1995 Brian Grant, Michael Smith
1996 Tyus Edney
1998 Michael Stewart
2000 Jason Williams
2002 Hedo Turkoglu
2010 Tyreke Evans (MVP), Omri Casspi
2011 Tyreke Evans*, DeMarcus Cousins
2012 DeMarcus Cousins
2013 Isaiah Thomas
2018 Buddy Hield, Bogdan Bogdanovic (MVP), De’Aaron Fox
2019 Marvin Bagley III, Bogdan Bogdanovic, De’Aaron Fox
2021 Tyrese Haliburton**
2022 Davion Mitchell
2023 Keegan Murray
*Evans named to Sophomore Team but due to injury did not participate
**Rising Stars not played in 2020-21 due to the limitation of Health & Safety