1. Keegan Murray
At the beginning of this month, I said that Keegan Murray should be deemed untouchable in almost any trade negotiation. That's because his development is the key to the Kings ever truly becoming a title contender.
Between DeRozan, De'Aaron Fox, and Domantas Sabonis, the Kings have a ton of on-ball scoring and playmaking. What they need around them is size, shooting, and rim protection. At 6'8, with a career 38.4% 3-point percentage and a block rate that placed in the 64th percentile last season, Murray is just that type of guy.
The reason Murray is poised for a breakthrough is similar to the one we outlined for Huerter a few slides back. After a rookie season where he mainly operated as a sharpshooter, Murray returned as a better defender and more confident driver in Year Two.
Seasons | Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus | True Shooting on Drives | Drives Per 36 Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
2022-23 | -1.0 | 53% | 2.7 |
2023-24 | +1.6 | 55% | 4.5 |
Unfortunately, his growth in those areas coincided with a down shooting year, as Murray went from a 41.1% 3-point shooter in 2022-23 to a 35.8% one in 2023-24. Even if all that changes next year is that Murray's 3-point shooting jumps closer back to his normal level, it'll lead to a massive upgrade in his production.
But if Murray sees a leap in shooting and also further sharpens his other skills, he could join the illustrious tier of elite role players alongside guys like OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Aaron Gordon.
If that transpires, not only would that be the biggest breakthrough on the team, but that arguably could be the biggest breakthrough in the league.