2023 Draft Prospect Spotlight -- Kris Murray

[Jamaaliver]

Kris Murray | Iowa | Junior

Intelligent player who understands his 3-and-D role and thrives within it

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Height: 6'8"
Weight: 220
Age: 23
Year: Redshirt Sophomore

SHADES OF: Left-handed Keegan Murray

PLUSES

• Low-maintenance scorer who doesn’t need touches to exert great effort while looking for opportunities to get buckets. He makes intelligent cuts, relocates off the ball to get open for jumpers, and loves to battle on the low block for positioning and easy buckets.
• Knockdown spot-up 3-point shooter with smooth mechanics off the catch. He doesn’t fly around screens but projects as a player who can hit basic shots off pick-and-pops and other movements.
• Does all the little things well. He’s a good passer and sets screens within the flow of the offense. In the same way his brother Keegan has fit into the complexities of the Kings’ motion offense, Kris will be a plug-and-play contributor.
• Following a similar trajectory as his twin brother, Keegan, who emerged as an on-ball offensive presence in his final season at Iowa. Kris is increasingly showing prowess as a creator who can punish defenders with jumpers off the dribble. Or he can get all the way to the rim with simple straight-line drives.
• Versatile on-ball defender capable of switching screens. He’s incredibly physical and also has great spatial awareness.

PPG: 20.4 -- RPG: 7.9 -- BPG: 1.2 -- 3pt%: 34%

MINUSES

• He’ll turn 23 before his rookie season begins. He tested the NBA waters following his sophomore season and decided to go back.
• Lacks a dynamic handle off the dribble. Though he has a quick first step, he doesn’t have great speed or shake-and-bake moves.

The Ringer

[Jamaaliver]

Kris Murray | Junior | Iowa | 6-8 | PF | Age: 22.5

20.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 2.0 APG

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Murray has improved significantly over the past two seasons, becoming a first-team All-Big Ten player and one of the most versatile defenders in the class. Murray doesn't quite have one consistent means of scoring but is solid across the board, being an acceptable, albeit streaky, perimeter shooter with a good feel for the game who can push off the defensive glass, score in the post and move off the ball resourcefully. Murray's aggressiveness and toughness comes and goes some, and he is much older than most first-round prospects, set to 23 in August, so finding a way to finish strong and staying productive after coming up short in last year's NCAA tournament will be beneficial.

ESPN Insider

Kris Murray (Iowa, SF/PF, Junior)

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With 63 three-point makes and the same type of transition, cutting and post-up production as his brother Keegan last year, Kris has an established and even proven skill set for off-ball scoring at the NBA level.

NBA teams may wind up preferring to gamble on younger prospects with more paths to upside. Murray will be a 23-year-old rookie without much creation or playmaking skill, but the right team figures to see value in adding an immediate shot-maker and play-finisher.

Bleacher Report

[Jamaaliver]

The dude has been mocked to us specifically on multiple occasions. Makes sense considering his age, skill set, and positions played.

16. Atlanta Hawks: Kris Murray (Iowa, PF, Junior)

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Turning 23 years old in August, Murray will have to convince teams that his off-ball scoring will translate as seamlessly and quickly as Keegan's did. The 6'8" forward blossomed into a dangerous shot-maker this season with enough transition game, cutting, closeout driving and quick post moves to provide efficient play-finishing.

Bleacher Report Mock Draft

ATLANTA HAWKS

16. Kris Murray, Iowa, Junior

Surrounding Trae Young and Dejounte Murray with wings is a priority. Kris Murray is a realistic target with solid two-way skills. But for his talents to be maximized he’ll need to be in an offense featuring more movement than what Atlanta currently offers. That’s a problem for existing players on this roster as well. New Hawks head coach Quin Snyder will have his work cut out for him this offseason to install a more modern system, and for Young and Dejounte Murray to totally buy in.

The Ringer NBA Mock Draft

[Jamaaliver]

Should Keegan's 3-pt success make teams higher on Kris's potential to provide similar shooting prowess?

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[Jamaaliver]

A low ceiling selection, but he'd perfectly on the team...even as a starter on a playoff team. (Like his brother.)

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[Jamaaliver]

2023 NBA Draft: Sleepers and Steals

Kris Murray, PF, Iowa

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This time last year, scouts were fawning over the pro potential of Kris Murray's identical twin brother, Keegan...The buzz isn't nearly as loud for Kris.

Still, potential stardom is far from the only projection that matters for a draft prospect, since most picks won't become stars. More than anything, teams want to find players who can contribute for a long time and in a lot of different ways. That's where Murray makes his mark, and it's why he should be regarded higher than he is.

He is a 6'8", 215-pound swingman who offers three-level scoring and defensive versatility. That's essentially the archetype atop just about every offseason wish list.

"Across the league, teams continue to look for wings with real size and athleticism who can immediately step in and play," The Athletic's Sam Vecenie wrote. "At 22 years old, Murray figures to provide genuine value within the first two years of his career as a rotation 3/4 with starter's upside."

Beyond a limited handle, there really aren't many warts in Murray's game. And even that's a little nitpicky, since NBA offenses won't often ask him to create. Instead, they'll lean on his multi-positional defense, shot-making, cutting, glass-cleaning and ability to fit almost any system. That's a ton of traits to get out of a non-lottery prospect.

Bleacher Report

[Jamaaliver]

Love it!!

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[Jamaaliver]

Sounds like he may go before pick #20:

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