Through two seasons of his professional career, Kris Murray hasn't been able to make quite the kind of impact with the Portland Trail Blazers that he likely envisioned. With the Blazers having a club option to bring him back for the 2026-27 season that they have not yet exercised, the next year is going to be a big opportunity for Murray to prove he belongs.
In the last two years, Murray has struggled to both find consistent playing time as well as be a consistent difference-maker when he is on the hardwood. What complicates this is the fact that Portland's mindset as an organization has shifted a bit recently.
Once in a more patient, rebuilding state, the Blazers are now under the pressure and high expectations that came with bringing Damian Lillard back. The fanbase desperately wants to create a winning roster around Dame so they can give him one last shot to win a championship once he returns from injury.
That means being a bit more specific about what roster decisions you choose to make. The Blazers are going to highly value players who can space the floor and shoot from beyond the arc. Murray's inability to reliably hit three-pointers is unfortunately going to undermine his ability to stay on the floor in modern lineups.
Kris Murray must expand his offensive game
Murray's limited offensive creation when it comes to driving in playmaking means that in order for him to be a real contributor, he's going to have to contribute in more niche roles. The problem is, specialists are an increasingly dying breed in the NBA today. He may be forced to expand his offensive toolkit if he's going to remain in Portland.
As the 23rd overall pick from the 2023 Draft, the expectation for Murray coming in was that he'd be able to be a contributor in the Trail Blazers' rotation. It would be hard to say that he has done enough to this point to justify the team picking up his option next summer. Something is going to have to change.
For Murray to dispel the idea that he's replaceable, he is going to have to show a growth in shooting and decision-making primarily. Kris needs to show growth in off-ball actions, cutting, and other intangibles to increase his value.
It's safe to say plenty of Trail Blazers fans are skeptical of him being able to do this. Murray will continue to be a defensive contributor anytime he's on the floor, but his offensive repertoire will have to expand greatly if Portland is to see him as a long-term piece with this team.