Kings F Keegan Murray Top 10 in Wings Under 25 With Highest Ceilings
In the 2022 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings decided to select F Keegan Murray from Iowa in a rare wise draft choice for the franchise. During his first season in the league, he was a key piece in this team’s resurgence to earning 48 wins on the way to becoming a three-seed in the Western Conference.
Murray averaged 12.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in his 80 games played on extremely solid efficiency and shot-making for a rookie (45.3/41.1/76.5, 206 threes made). After such a proficient year, the potential for Murray as one of the best wings in the NBA has been on full display.
As a part of Bleacher Report's recent ‘Ranking NBA Wings Under 25 With Heighest Ceilings,' the Kings forward comes in at 8th on the list. Writer Zach Buckley writes how Murray’s growth as a player projects moving forward on a competitive Sacramento team:
"Now, the Kings' success obviously wasn't only about Murray, but the 6'8" swingman still played a pivotal role in that success...He doesn't need to create much offense in Sacramento, and his future growth in that area is what will determine if he can crack the elite ranks or not. Still, the fact that he's a 23-year-old who needed just one season to prove he can contribute on both ends for a playoff team matters, as he already has a stronger foundation to build upon than a lot of players on this list."
Ranked above are players such as New York Knicks F RJ Barrett (7), Minnesota Timberwolves F Jaden McDaniels (6), and newly drafted Charlotte Hornets F Brandon Miller (5). With names with such bright futures ahead of them, the competition for Murray to establish himself as a top wing in the NBA will be a contested battle.
The Kings will enter the 2023-24 season with another talented roster to climb to the top of the West. In such a complimentary offense with a solid supporting cast surrounding him, the ease to further grow into his role and progress should make Murray’s development encouraging moving forward.
Going into the 2023-24 NBA season, Murray’s growth in his sophomore campaign looks to be one of many exciting storylines on this team for Kings fans to follow.
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