3 targets for Cavs if they trade up to late first round of 2023 NBA Draft

Prospect No. 3: Kris Murray

Looking at another NBA-ready talent, here is Kris Murray. He’s the brother of Keegan Murray, who was the fourth pick in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings. With that in mind, there’s no reason that Kris Murray cannot be as successful as his brother.

Murray averaged 20.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists last year for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Unlike his brother, Keegan Murray, he wasn’t as good of a three-point shooter. He shot 33.5% from deep in his junior season. However, Kris Murray’s game is NBA-ready, and he could make a serious impact from day one for whatever team he plays for.

The Cavs do already have two solid backup power forwards in Lamar Stevens and Dean Wade, but that shouldn’t be a reason to not select Murray. One of those could feasibly be potential trade candidates, anyhow.

Murray is a well-versed offensive power forward, and he can also play small forward from time to time.

Murray is currently slated to be picked around picks 20-35. He could end up being a first-round pick, but it’s unclear as to what team will select him. The Cavaliers definitely could benefit from having a guy like Murray on their team, though.

He is a perfect backup for Evan Mobley, as they both bring different skills to the table. Mobley is a great defensive big man, whereas Murray is a better floor spacer.

Taking all of that into account, the Cavaliers may not trade up into the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft, which is fine. The 49th pick is still an area where they can find value, and it can definitely be useful to select a quality rotation player.

If the Cavaliers do make a trade, I’ll be 100% on board, however, and will support whatever President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman decides to do.