The first major surprise of the 2022 NBA Draft came at No. 4. With Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren and Jabari Smith Jr. off the board, the Kings had the opportunity to select Jaden Ivey, the Purdue guard widely considered to be either in the same tier as or right below the "Big Three."
Instead, Sacramento snagged Iowa forward Keegan Murray, causing many fans to wonder if the Kings had blown another opportunity to add a young star to their roster. It was difficult to ignore their history at the NBA Draft, as the Kings have picked Marvin Bagley III over Luka Doncic, Thomas Robinson over Damian Lillard and Jimmer Fredette over Klay Thompson in recent years.
"There's a lot of good prospects in this draft. There's going to be a lot of good players coming out of this draft," Sacramento general manager Monte McNair said after the draft. "We're certainly here to talk about Keegan — somebody who, I'd say confidently we thought was the best player available at No. 4."
It's possible that the Kings will eventually regret choosing Murray over Ivey, but they must be thrilled with what they've seen so far from their first-rounder. Murray has been terrific during Summer League action, giving hope to a long-suffering franchise.
MORE: The good and the bad from Banchero's Summer League run
Keegan Murray Summer League highlights
Sure, Murray isn't playing against elite NBA competition on a nightly basis just yet, but he has demonstrated that he is ready to compete against some of the top prospects in his draft class.
In a double-overtime thriller against Banchero and the Magic, Murray scored 20 points on 5-of-11 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds. He hit a clutch 3-pointer at the end of regulation that sent the game to its first overtime period.
Murray delivered another stellar performance against Holmgren and the Thunder, scoring 29 points on 9-of-17 shooting with seven rebounds and four steals.
He scored a few of his points when directly matched up with Holmgren, beating the big man on cuts and drives to the basket.
The Kings didn't win those games, but the final scores shouldn't be the focus. Murray has shown the members of Sacramento's front office and coaching staff exactly what they wanted to see.
Keegan Murray Summer League stats
After Wednesday night's slate of games, Murray is averaging 24.0 points per game, the fifth-highest mark in the Las Vegas Summer League. The last rookie top-10 pick who averaged more points in the Las Vegas Summer League? Lillard in 2012.
Murray has scored 20 or more points in five of his six Summer League games (California and Las Vegas), while the other 13 lottery picks have combined for only six 20-point games.
The numbers are even more impressive when you consider his efficiency.
- 26 points, 10-14 FG
- 9 points, 4-15 FG
- 24 points, 9-16 FG
- 20 points, 5-11 FG
- 23 points, 7-16 FG
- 29 points, 9-17 FG
Murray has also gotten his buckets in a variety of ways. His skill set will allow him to fit easily alongside De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis and impact the game without being ball-dominant.
| Play type | Points per possession |
| Catch and shoot | 1.17 |
| Catch and drive | 0.93 |
| Cut | 1.21 |
| Screen | 1.07 |
| Transition | 1.31 |
| Isolation | 0.82 |
| Handoff | 1.2 |
Additionally, Murray has flashed his versatility as a 6-8 wing defender. He is always active with his hands, creating transition opportunities with deflections and steals.
Put it all together, and you can see why the Kings are so excited about him.
"I think he's going to be with us for a long time," McNair said, "and somebody who has a very bright future in this league."
