Murray grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and attended Prairie High School, where he played basketball with his twin brother Keegan as a teammate.[1] He was named first team All-Metro and second team All-State after averaging 19.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.5 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game.[2] Following graduation, Murray and his brother enrolled at DME Academy in Daytona Beach, Florida for a postgraduate year.[3] Both brothers committed to playing college basketball for Iowa.[4]
College career
Murray played in 13 games, all off the bench, and 41 total minutes as a freshman for the Iowa Hawkeyes.[5] As a sophomore, he averaged 9.7 points and 4.3 rebounds over 35 games with one start.[6][7] Following the end of the season, Murray entered the 2022 NBA draft after his brother had already done so.[8] He ultimately withdrew his name from the draft shortly after declining an invitation to the NBA Draft Combine.[9][10]
Murray was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the 2023 NBA draft with the 23rd overall pick[15] and on July 1, 2023, he signed with the Blazers.[16] He scored back-to-back career-highs in points in consecutive games against the Los Angeles Clippers on March 20 and March 22, posting 17 and then 21 points.[17][18]
Murray's father, Kenyon, was a 4-year starter for the Iowa Hawkeyes from 1992 to 1996, and was high school Mr. Basketball in Michigan in 1992.[19] Kris's twin brother Keegan was a top 5 pick in 2022 draft and currently plays for the Sacramento Kings.[20] Kris was named after the late Chris Street.