Is Kris Murray Ready to Follow His Brother to NBA Next Season?

Not many players would’ve stayed pat and watched while their brother decided to make it to the National Basketball Association, but Kris Murray isn’t like most players.

He wished his brother Keegan the best and then got right back to work on his game to improve his craft.

Needless to say, that has worked out just fine for him. He slid into the starting lineup for coach Fran McCaffrey and suited up for his third season with the Iowa Hawkeyes, and now he’s got the makings of a future NBA player.

As usually happens with Iowa and Iowa State NBA players, Kris had to work his way up the rankings and prove his worth.

He’s done just that, earning his peers’ respect and an All-Big Ten First-Team selection.

“He decided to come back,” coach McCaffery said. “He probably would have gone in the (NBA’s) second round (last season), and he came back to make a statement. It’s hard to be first-team all-league in this conference, and he did that. So really proud of him.”

This selection was hardly a surprise. According to Basketball Reference, Murray has averaged 20.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.1 blocks, and 2.3 three-pointers per game on 48/34/73 shooting splits.

And while he may not have the same quick trigger as his brother — now with the Sacramento Kings — he’s done more than enough to prove that he could also be a productive asset for multiple NBA teams.

But will that happen? To understand this better, let’s break it down.

Will Kris Murray Join Keegan in the NBA?

Well, for starters, Kris has already made it clear that he wants to pursue a new challenge in his career.

He recently hinted at the possibility of declaring for the upcoming NBA Draft, so he’s unlikely to come back next season:

“There are no more brothers,” he said, “so we can’t do a third year, I guess. We’ll see.”

Murray has drawn impressive reviews from NBA scouts as of late. His ability to play at both forward spots and spread the floor with his shot-making skill make him a tailor-made player for today’s run-and-gun, high-octane kind of basketball.

“After not playing much as a freshman at Iowa, Murray had a solid sophomore campaign,” read his scouting report. “Known for being a 3-point shooter, he knocked down nearly 40% of his triples last season. What’s more impressive is that he stands at 6-foot-8 and is also solid on the defensive end.”

Of course, the fact that he’s already turned 22 will most likely scare multiple NBA teams away, as the league has a tendency to get younger every year.

However, his experience could also be a blessing in disguise, as he could pretty much be a plug-and-play kind of guy on every system.

“At this point, it doesn’t appear Murray has the same overall upside as his brother but does project to be a quality role player at the NBA level,” the report added.

“He’s got great size for a 3-and-D wing and also has a ton of experience under his belt. The fact that he will be 23 at the start of the 2023-24 NBA season will limit his ceiling on draft night, but he still could help a playoff team immediately.”