Rookie forward Keegan Murray has been pronounced healthy and he is expecting to make his regular-season NBA debut Saturday when the Sacramento Kings host the Los Angeles Clippers at the Golden 1 Center

Murray had missed the season opener Wednesday in the Kings' loss due to Covid-19. However, he practiced Thursday and Friday and was pronounced ready to play in the Kings' home game against the Clippers.

“You can’t tell he had COVID,” Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox said. “Obviously, he’s still a rookie and he’s learning, but I think he’s excited. We’re excited to have him out there for a game that counts.”

Murray played in two preseason games for the Kings before he was sidelined with the illness. He made an impressive showing, averaging 16.0 points per game while connecting on an eye-catching 70.6 percent of his shots from the field and 70.0 percent from beyond the arc.

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The 6-8, 215-pound Murray was selected with the No. 4 pick in the NBA draft last spring. The 22-year-old averaged 23.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game for the Iowa Hawkeyes last year. He averaged 31.9 minutes per game while shooting 55.4 percent from the field.

Murray had shown signs of becoming a good player in the 2020-21 season when he averaged 7.2 points per game, but he became a star last year.

Murray signed a rookie scale contract in July and he will earn more than $8 million in each of his first two seasons.

The young forward figures to come off the bench at the start of the season. Head coach Mike Brown said Keegan Murray could be in the running for a starting position.