4 Draft prospects Bulls must watch closely in March Madness

2. Kris Murray, Iowa

Kris Murray is sure to be a familiar name (and face) here, as he was born an identical twin to 2022’s No. 4 overall pick and current Sacramento Kings rookie Keegan Murray. Much like the aforementioned Walker, Murray is a player that should certainly be on the Bulls’ radar due to the fact he could fill this team’s glaring hole at power forward.

Although he was eligible to attend last year’s draft with his brother, Kris decided to return to Iowa for one more season in which he’d find great success. Murray had by far the most statistically successful season of his collegiate career, more than doubling his scoring production as a sophomore to post averages of 20.4 points and 7.9 rebounds.

Murray led Iowa to a 19-13 record and 5th place finish in the Big Ten before earning a spot in the NCAA tournament as an 8th seed. If they can defeat ninth-seeded Auburn in the first round, Murray can potentially play the role of tournament Cinderella by knocking out Houston before the Sweet 16. Let’s hope we get to see that showdown play out, because a Walker vs. Murray duel would make for can’t-miss television.

Kris is projected to be a late-lottery or mid-first-round pick this year, so the Trail Blazers’ lottery-protected pick conveying this year would be the easiest way to get him without making any additional trades. It’s unfortunate relying on another team to play well to see this pick come through, but Murray is talented enough to get our hopes up that Portland can finish the season strong and make the Lauri Markkanen trade worth it in the end.