Report: NBA draft prospect Keegan Murray dined with Kings’ De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis
Iowa forward Keegan Murray reportedly dined with De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis when he came to Sacramento to visit the Kings in preparation for Thursday’s NBA draft.
Murray is one of the players the Kings are considering with the No. 4 pick in the draft. They would likely still be able to draft Murray if they trade back to No. 5 in a deal with the Detroit Pistons and possibly No. 6 with the Indiana Pacers or No. 7 with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Murray has worked out for the Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder, Pistons and Pacers. Murray also came to Sacramento to meet with the Kings, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
“The Sacramento Kings – owners of the No. 4 pick – are high on Murray and even arranged for the prospect to have dinner with team stars De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis,” Haynes wrote, citing league sources.
Murray, 21, is a 6-foot-8, 225-pound combo forward who blossomed into one of the best players in college basketball last season. As a sophomore at Iowa, he averaged 23.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.3 steals while shooting 55.4% from the field and 39.8% from 3-point range on 4.7 attempts per game.
The Kings have identified shooting, length and defense as their biggest needs. Murray, one of the best two-way players in this year’s draft, could help them in all three areas. Murray would offer a mix of talent, fit and readiness that few players in the draft possess.
Murray told Yahoo Sports he isn’t worried about where he gets drafted.
“I don’t care how high I go,” Murray said. “I just want to be in the right place where I can build a career out of it. I want to be in one spot my whole career and give spirit to that team. So, for me, it’s fit over pick.”
Murray went on to say he believes he will be ready to make an immediate contribution as a rookie.
“I feel I can definitely contribute right away, especially because teams pretty much have stars they’re trying to build it around,” Murray said. “I don’t have to have the ball in my hands to be successful. I can do different things, but if you need me to score, I can put the ball in the basket. I feel like I can guard multiple positions and be at different places on offense. I definitely think that’ll help me from Day 1.”
This story was originally published June 20, 2022 at 12:16 PM.
