The Los Angeles Lakers still haven't finalized their roster. LA still needs to trim its list of players on standard deals from 16 to 15 before the regular season. In light of that, it might feel odd to talk about another potential acquisition, but who's to say Lakers GM Rob Pelinka won't make multiple small moves in the coming days?
As the Lakers continue to retool their wing depth, Memphis Grizzlies' Kris Murray is a player to keep an eye on, especially as he's been recently identified as a cut candidate.
For the purposes of discussing Murray, let's assume the Lakers are interested in signing him to a two-way deal if and when he's cut by Memphis and clears waivers. (The Lakers would have to part with one of their three two-way players to get to that point, but I digress).
Here's a brief argument both for and against going after Murray, who was a first-round pick (No. 23) by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2023 and was sent to Memphis in the Ja Morant trade this past offseason.
Should the Lakers look to add Kris Murray on a two-way contract?
The case for the Lakers to sign Kris Murray
Murray is more NBA-experienced than any of LA's current two-way players combined (Arthur Kaluma, Chris Mañon, AK Okereke). Murray has 188 NBA games under his belt, which includes 50 starts. Last season, he averaged a career-high 23.4 minutes per game for Portland in 57 games (15 starts). Whatever your opinion of Murray may be, there's no doubt that he's a more proven NBA player than Kaluma, Mañon, or Okereke at this point in time.
In Murray, the Lakers would be getting a sizable wing (6-foot-8) who has shown that he can rebound and defend against other NBA wings. At worst, Murray would serve as worthy competition for LA's other wings during practice in an "iron sharpens iron" sort of way. He'd put healthy pressure on a guy like Ziaire Williams, or maybe even usurp him. That's good value for a two-way contract.
The case for the Lakers to avoid Kris Murray
Murray can't shoot. He's a 25.9% shooter from 3, and that just doesn't fit on a Luka Doncic basketball team. If you can't space the floor around Luka and you're not a center, you're probably a poor roster candidate for the Lakers. The Lakers are already carrying a couple of guard/wings in Matisse Thybulle and Quentin Grimes who run hot-and-cold as shooters. Adding another non-shooter wing to the group would seem silly.
There's also the possibility that Murray would be disgruntled about landing in a two-way situation, and the Lakers don't want someone with less-than-stellar energy in their building.
The gut decision here tells you to pass on Murray if he becomes available, but his experience compared to LA's other wing options at the bottom of their depth chart is notable.
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