By Antonio R. Harvey | OBSERVER Staff Writer
The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced July 18 that Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray was voted by members of the media the most valuable player in the 2K23 Summer League in Las Vegas.
The 6-foot-8, 215-pound Murray also was named to the all-summer league first team. In four games, the No. 4 selection in the draft averaged 23.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.3 steals in 31.9 minutes. He finished with the highest scoring average in the last 10 years by a top 10 pick at the Las Vegas summer league.
Murray shot 50% from the field overall and 40% on three-pointers. He attempted 8.8 three-point shots per game.
The Iowa native also played three games during the California Classic Summer League, averaging 19.7 points and 8.0 rebounds in 30.1 minutes. Across seven contests in two summer leagues, he posted 21.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in 31.2 minutes per outing.
Kings Update:
The Kings signed former UC Davis forward Chima Moneke, General Manager Monte McNair said. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Moneke played 52 games for Spanish professional team BAXI Manresa in 2021-22, averaging 14.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 23.5 minutes.
The 6-6 forward earned Basketball Champions League MVP honors averaging 13.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 22.2 minutes over 15 games, helping his team advance to the semifinals.
Moneke averaged 16.0 points and 9.5 rebounds in 28.3 minutes in 57 games with the Aggies from 2015-18. He was cut from Nigeria’s men’s national basketball team last summer just before the Olympic Games. Before being cut, he was part of the Nigerians’ 90-87 victory against the United States in a pre-Olympic exhibition in Las Vegas.