As we spend time between the end of the Portland Trail Blazers’ 2025-26 season and the start of the 2026 NBA Draft, we’re taking a look back at the performance of Portland’s players this year.
Today we’re going to look at third-year forward Kris Murray. The Blazers hoped for a diamond in the rough when they drafted him 23rd overall in the 2023 NBA Draft. Most of the attention that year went to third-overall pick Scoot Henderson. Murray’s been operating in and out of the shadows since.
How did he do
this year? Let’s take a look.
Season Stats
Here is Murray’s basic stat block:
OTHER STATS
Murray was one of only five Blazers in the regular rotation with a positive Defensive Box Plus-Minus, which (to the extent it’s credible) shows that he’s a better defender than NBA average. His number was 0.8, which would rank him slightly above Donovan Clingan and Deni Avdija (0.6 each), but well below veteran defenders Matisse Thybulle (6.1) and Robert Williams III (2.4).
Murray also ranked extremely high in two-point percentage, making 61.7% of the shots he took inside the arc. This ranked only below Clingan (62.1%) and Williams (74.0%) for the Blazers.
Murray was one of the best offensive rebounders the Blazers had, equaling Toumani Camara with 1.6 per game.
Here’s a quirk for you too. Murray took exactly zero shots—none at all—between 10 feet from the bucket and the three-point arc this season. In fact, he’s only taken 13 in his three-year career, only one in the last two seasons.
Change Year-Over-Year
Murray’s overall shooting percentage soared this year, rising to 46.7% against 41.9% last season. His three-point percentage rebounded to 27.9% after last year’s disastrous 22.5% performance.
Murray earned 23.4 minutes per game over 57 appearances this season with 15 starts. He averaged only 15.1 minutes per game in 69 outings last year.
Analysis
Given time to fill in for injured teammates over the course of the season, Kris Murray adapted himself to the NBA defensive game. He’s as mobile and rangy as the Blazers could wish. He covers ground well. On the rare occasions he unleashes, his athletic prowess is surprising. With a little more seasoning, Murray could become one of those “switch on everyone but the center” defenders that modern teams prize. This was the most NBA-worthy of his three seasons in the league. He’s growing and adapting.
That said, Murray remains too slight and too anonymous on the floor to be considered a great defender. His aggression waxes and wanes. He gets taken by stronger offensive players. He’s definitely still learning how to translate athleticism into production.
This wouldn’t be an issue, except Murray appears allergic to offense in any form. He had the lowest usage rate of any Trail Blazers player this year. That included guys like Chris Youngblood, Duop Reath, and Rayan Rupert. The two-point efficiency mentioned above is great, but not if he never takes shots. His three-point percentage, though improving, still borders on awful. His turnover rate is middle of the pack, which far outpaces his point production. The story here is just grim.
Even though Murray’s aggregate stats went up this year because of increased playing time, his per-minute and per-possession production numbers actually went down across the board. He got more minutes and produced less with them. Even for a defense-first player, that’s not a good sign, particularly in your third season.
Granted, teammates aren’t exactly feeding Kris on the regular. He’s in there to be the third or fourth defender, the fifth offensive player in any given lineup. But that’s what he’s stacking up to be right now. That isn’t a recipe for a long NBA career.
The Future
Back in October, the Blazers picked up Murray’s option for the 2026-27 season at $5.3 million. It was a calculated move, based on his growth potential. Whether he’s fulfilled it depends on your perspective. For what the Blazers asked of him, he delivered. For what they hope of him, that remains to be seen.
Murray will have one more year to put it together before hitting restricted free agency. If he’s going to work on one thing, it needs to be the three-point shot. The Blazers need it. Other teams are leaving him wide open and daring him to shoot, making Portland pay for having him on the floor.
But really, it feels like make-or-break time for his career. If he flatlines or recedes again, it’s hard to see teams paying real money to claim a one-dimensional, low-minute defender. Whatever fire in his heart or spring in his step the Blazers Brass sees in Kris, it’s time for that to translate into real, on-court contributions.
Beyond that, Murray’s contract could be a salary-equalizer in trades. For perspective, only Vit Krejci and Yang Hansen are scheduled to make less money than Murray next year, so his presence isn’t a drag in any way. He just needs to give them as much reason to keep him on the team as not.
What do you think of Kris Murray? Are sparks still there, or are the embers dying for you? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
