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The most talked about Charlotte Hornets draft prediction is about what the team will do with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. However, that isn’t the only first-round Hornets pick. The team will also pick at the end of Round 1, and with that pick, Charlotte will make a smart choice on a player who will help right away and play a role the Hornets desperately need. How can we know this? Because this prospect’s twin brother did the exact same thing last season.
The Hornets' last-minute draft prediction is that the team takes Kris Murray at No. 27
Whatever the Hornets do with the No. 2 pick will be a big, franchise-changing move. Will they hold tight and take Alabama forward Brandon Miller? G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson? Will they trade it for a massive haul of picks like the Orlando Magic’s Nos. 6 and 11 selections? Or for a veteran star like Zion Williamson, Karl-Anthony Towns, or Ja Morant?
As you can see, the possibilities at No. 2 are seemingly endless. However, unless the Hornets have to give No. 27 up in a larger trade for a veteran star, chances are the team will make the selection.
No matter what happens (or doesn’t happen) with the first Hornets pick, the team should use 27 to find a player who can play a defined role with LaMelo Ball and whoever the No. 2 pick brings.
A jack-of-all-trades 3-and-D forward would be ideal, and lo and behold, there could be a solid one available in Iowa’s Kris Murray.
Murray is a 22-year-old junior, so he doesn’t have the high upside that some NBA draft prospects do. That also means he’s more mature and more ready to play in the 2022-23 season. Murray is a smooth 3-point shooter who shot 33.5% from deep last season. He also scored 20.2 points and put up 7.9 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game.
Murray is a ready-made 3-and-D player right now. And at 6-foot-8, he can cover multiple positions on the floor and set up in the corner, and hoist up threes in the flow of the offense. He doesn’t need the ball in his hands at all times to be an excellent scorer, and that’s good on a team with Ball.
The potential Hornets pick also does all the little things well. Murray is a good passer, he sets solid screens, and he hustles on the court. Plus, he’s left-handed, which always gives defenders a little bit more trouble.
Honestly, Murray is one of the 2023 NBA draft prospects with the fewest flaws in his game overall. Again, he doesn’t have tremendous upside. He’s never going to turn into a leading scorer on a team, but that’s fine at pick No. 27 in this Hornets’ draft.
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Overall, the former Hawkeye can be a legit role player on a playoff team right now, and we know this because his twin brother was last season.
Keegan Murray was the No. 4 overall pick last season, so he’s got more upside than his (minutes) older brother. But after a year of extra seasoning in college on his own, Kris has improved as well.
Keegan was excellent this season and is a big reason why the Sacramento Kings had their best season in nearly 20 years. The younger twin averaged 12.2 points, 1.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 0.8 steals per game while shooting 41.1% from 3-point range. He did all the little things that winning teams need from their role players.
If Kris can be even almost as good as his brother this season — which is a real possibility playing alongside Ball and whatever the Hornets pick at No. 2 brings — he could also make the All-Rookie team like his former womb-mate.
The reason that this last-minute Hornets draft prediction makes so much sense is because of where Charlotte is as an organization.
With multiple first-round picks this year, Miles Bridges likely coming back, and LeMelo Ball in place, the Hornets need to start maximizing their picks and putting productive players in their lineup. The time for lottery tickets and boom-or-bust prospects is over.
Again, the Hornets should look across the country and see how the Kings dug out of their hole. They got a group of good young players together and put them in situations where they could succeed. They didn’t have a ton of superstars — although Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox were excellent last season — they just had a team that fit well together.
And that’s why the Hornets need to pick Kris Murray at No. 27 and let him do his thing to help make the team a winning on.
