The Denver Nuggets and star guard Jamal Murray are working toward a four-year, $209 million contract extension, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. The Nuggets are set to present the deal to Murray, who's expected to accept.
This is a no-brainer move for Denver after Murray helped the team win its first championship in 2023. While the guard struggled in these past playoffs as he battled through injury problems, he still rose to the occasion several times, including hitting multiple game-winners in the first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Murray is set to earn just over $36 million in the final season of the five-year, $158.253 million he signed in 2019. Getting this deal done immediately to start this offseason locks him in for the future alongside Nikola Jokic in Denver.
Jamal Murray's Nuggets tenure
The Nuggets drafted Jamal Murray out of Kentucky with the No. 7 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. After a ho-hum rookie season, albeit one in which he played all 82 games, Murray blossomed into one of the league's brightest young stars in Year 2 and earned that first big contract extension later in 2019.
The sharpshooting guard made waves in the NBA Bubble in 2020, taking part in an epic duel against Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz in the first round. Murray and the Nuggets erased two 3-1 deficits in those playoffs before falling short against the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.
An ACL injury nuked Murray's 2021-22 season, but he returned for the 2022-23 season and teamed with Jokic and Co. to win the franchise's first-ever NBA title. The Nuggets guard was especially crucial throughout the playoff run, taking his game to the next level by averaging 26.1 points, 7.1 assists and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 47.3% from the field and 39.6% from 3-point range.
This past season, Murray was limited to 59 games in the regular season, though he put up some of his best numbers with averages of 21.2 points, 6.5 assists and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 48.1% from the field and 42.5% from 3-point range. Unfortunately, his efficiency dipped in a big way in the playoffs due to the injury woes, and he had a mostly rough go of it in the second-round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 27-year-old did, though, score 35 points in Game 7.
What's next for Nuggets?
While taking care of Jamal Murray was an easy call, there are some major questions about the Nuggets this offseason. Chiefly among them is the future of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who's declining his $15.4 million player option and testing free agency. While KCP could still return to Denver, he has outside suitors prepared to make lucrative offers.
Even if KCP returns, the Nuggets could also use improved depth after that failed them this past season. They were never able to effectively replace Bruce Brown after his departure, so Denver needs to find more consistent production from somewhere besides the core players.
Michael Porter Jr.'s situation will also be one to watch moving forward. It would be a surprise if he's traded this offseason, but he's on a massive contract, has had injury problems in the past and has had some real dud playoff series.
The Nuggets will be a fascinating team to watch the rest of the summer.
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