The Portland Trail Blazers used the No. 23 pick in Thursday’s NBA draft to select Iowa forward Kris Murray.
The Blazers earlier selected point guard Scoot Henderson with the third overall pick.
The Blazers acquired the 23rd pick and forward Cam Reddish at last season’s trade deadline by sending Josh Hart to the New York Knicks.
The 6-foot-8 Murray is the twin brother of Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray, also out of Iowa.
Kris Murray averaged 20.2 points and 7.9 rebounds per game last season as a junior for Iowa while shooting 47.6% from the floor and 33.5% on threes.
Murray possesses the versatility to play both forward positions. He can score in a variety of ways with a smooth jumper and deft touch around the basket.
The question mark is his lack of elite athleticism, which could make it more difficult for him to get off some shots in the NBA. However, Murray should be reliable as a system player who can make teams pay for leaving him open.
For Portland, he will provide much-needed size and length and given his age (22) and experience, could earn meaningful minutes as a rookie.
— Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook). Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts
