With the No. 4 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings have selected Keegan Murray out of Iowa, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Sources: Kings pick Keegan Murray at No. 4.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 24, 2022
Murray is a do-it-all, two-way wing that was perhaps the best player in college basketball last season. Sacramento has long lacked talent at the forward spot, and Murray certainly brings that to the team.
Murray is a good fit alongside Domantas Sabonis in the frontcourt, with his shooting and defense, two skills Sacramento lacks roster-wide. He was incredibly efficient at Iowa last season, shooting 39.8% from three on more than five attempts per game and 62.1% from two-point range.
The biggest question with this pick is whether Sacramento drafted based on need rather than overall talent. Most draft prognosticators had Jaden Ivey out of Purdue as one of the top-four players in this class, with Murray on the outside looking in. Murray has often been considered one of the most “NBA-ready” prospects in the draft, which likely factored into Sacramento’s calculus with this pick.
At 22-years-old, to start the 2022-23 season, a lot of experts have questioned how much room for growth Murray has in his game. In Murray’s defense, he did make some major leaps in skill during his time in college.
Murray never worked out for Sacramento, but it was reported by Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports! that Murray met with franchise pillars De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis.
It’s clear that the majority of NBA Draft media disagree with the pick, but only time will tell if this was the correct selection.
This breaking news story will be updated with more information and analysis as it develops, but for now, what do you think of the pick? Let us know in the comments below.