Kings’ Keegan Murray Makes the Cut as a Top 30 NBA Wing Next Season

Keegan Murray is coming off an over-achieving rookie season, but will the rising star make a significant sophomore leap?

The 2023-24 NBA season is around the corner, with less than two months until opening day. Many fans are excited for the season to start, as everyone has an idea of how their favorite teams will perform and how good their team's players will be.

Bleacher Report attempted to predict the NBA's top 30 wings heading into next season, featuring a handful of superstar names. While he may not be a superstar, Sacramento Kings' rising star Keegan Murray made the list. 

Murray found himself a sport toward the bottom of the list, ranking as the NBA's 26th-best wing for the 2023-24 season. 

The 23-year-old forward is coming off a rookie season that Kings fans dreamed about. Murray averaged 12.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game on 45/41/76 shooting splits on his way to an All-Rookie 1st Team appearance and the all-time rookie record for most three-pointers made in a season.

ROOKIES IN NBA HISTORY TO AVERAGE:

12+ PPG
4+ RPG
40+ 3P%

LARRY BIRD
PAUL PIERCE
STEPHEN CURRY
JAYSON TATUM

and

KEEGAN MURRAY pic.twitter.com/rEWnTceqzC

— AL in CAL (@ALinCALI22) August 21, 2023

While Kings fans likely have higher expectations for Murray's sophomore season than the rest of NBA fans, B/R gave the young wing his props:

"Keegan Murray seems one of the league's safest bets for growth in his sophomore campaign. His game has only a tiny number of cracks for someone of his age and experience level, and perhaps his biggest challenge—shot-creation—is masked over by the playmakers around him in Sacramento, namely De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis."

During a strong 2023 NBA Summer League outing, Sacramento got a good look at their future as Murray dropped 41 points on a Wednesday night in July. 

B/R knows that the growth of the Kings will correlate with the growth of Murray, as the rising star could be the X factor:

"The Kings likely know a leap year from Murray might be their best hope for building off their breakout 2022-23 season, so if he shows he's ready to spread his wings, they'll give him as much space as he needs. He won't reprise his superstar role from summer league, but a stat line in the range of 16 points and 2.5 assists is absolutely on the table.

Poised for a breakout sophomore season, Murray showcased playmaking improvements, as he was creating for himself and others as he ran the Summer League offense. A 16 points and 2.5 assists per game stat line seems very realistic for Murray, as he will provide the perfect amount of outside scoring for the explosive Kings offense.

If Murray continues to improve, Sacramento might have a newly found "Big Three" on their hands with him next to All-Stars Fox and Sabonis. 

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