The Denver Nuggets may be looking at every possibility on the table after their first-round exit this year.
Denver could potentially look to trade veteran guard Jamal Murray this offseason, Jason Quick and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported Friday. The report notes that Murray, the second-highest-paid player on the Nuggets roster, might be a trade candidate if franchise superstar Nikola Jokic signs a new extension with the team this summer.
Murray, 29, was a first-time All-Star this season for Denver, averaging 25.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game (all career-best marks). Having been drafted by the team in 2016, Murray is the second-longest-tenured Nuggets player after Jokic and was a fundamental part of their NBA championship team in 2023.
But Murray did see a slight regression during this year’s playoffs. He averaged 23.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per contest as Denver just lost in the first round to an injury-depleted Minnesota Timberwolves team in six games.
Murray was rewarded by the Nuggets with a max contract extension in 2024 and is thus still owed roughly $161 million over the next three seasons. But if Jokic gets a rich new extension of his own from the team, it will likely be untenable for Denver to keep paying Murray along with the likes of Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun while also trying to retain restricted free agents Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones.
The former lottery pick Murray also made headlines during the series against the Timberwolves with some of his mental lapses down the stretch. Now after spending a decade in Denver, it appears that Murray could possibly find himself on the trade block this summer.
