SEPTEMBER 11: Murray’s extension is official, the Nuggets confirmed in a press release.
SEPTEMBER 7: The Nuggets and star guard Jamal Murray have reached an agreement on a four-year, maximum-salary contract extension that will begin in 2025/26, agents Jeff Schwartz and Mike George tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Assuming the salary cap increases by the maximum allowable 10% next summer, as projected, Murray’s four-year deal will be worth $207,845,568. Taking into account his $36,016,200 salary for the ’24/25 season, the 27-year-old is now on track to earn just shy of $244MM over the next five seasons.
Murray is considered perhaps the most accomplished active player not to have made an All-Star team. He holds career averages of 17.5 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.7 rebounds in 30.7 minutes per game, with a .452/.380/.867 shooting line across 469 total appearances for the Nuggets, who drafted him with the seventh overall pick in 2016.
Murray has been even better (24.2 PPG, 6.2 APG, 4.9 RPG, .459/.389/.911 shooting) in 65 postseason contests and played a key role in helping Denver win the 2023 championship.
Last season, he matched his career high with 21.2 PPG. His 6.5 APG and .425 3PT% were also career bests, though he was limited to 59 games due to health issues.
Word broke in late June that Murray and the Nuggets were expected to finalize a four-year max extension. When more than two months passed without a deal, there was speculation that Denver may be rethinking that $52MM-per-year investment, especially after the veteran guard struggled in the 2024 postseason and at the Paris Olympics as a member of the Canadian national team.
However, it seems the Nuggets’ commitment to Murray hasn’t wavered. His new contract will make him one of the NBA’s highest-paid guards and will run through the 2028/29 season.
Murray, superstar center Nikola Jokic, and forward Michael Porter Jr. will earn a combined $140MM for Denver in 2025/26, with that total increasing to roughly $150MM in ’26/27. Jokic and Porter are each eligible to reach unrestricted free agency in 2027 (Jokic holds a ’27/28 player option).
The Nuggets’ roster may get even more expensive if the team is able to work out a new contract with its other starting forward, Aaron Gordon. Gordon will earn $22.8MM in 2024/25 and holds a player option worth the same amount for ’25/26. He’ll become extension-eligible later this month and would be able to negotiate a new deal at any time this season.
We’ll see how this ages going cheap on other role players and going all in on a guy who seemed like an ascending star and has some questions going into the season
He’s still in his 20‘s, they won it all 2 yrs ago, and they were couple plays away from winning game 7 vs Minnesota. Murray still has another upside potential as he gets healthier and stronger. Nuggets are still one of the best teams in the league.
Unreal. Makes me appreciate Brunson that much more.
Yes and the Knicks bench depth as you mentioned the other day. Two things to be very thankful for. Should be a good year in New York.
Just as long as you dont need a center ;)
Nuggets rolled the dice on Michael Porter following his injury problems, and his subsequent performance shows he’s clearly overpaid. Now, KCP is gone because Nuggets couldn’t afford to pay him $22M while Porter makes $20M more than he’s worth.
Giving Murray the max feels like the same mistake, given Murray’s record of unavailability. Mitchell has averaged 45 games per year over the last 5 years, and he looked badly broken down in the playoffs and Olympics. A $52M /yr contract is meant for an All-Star calibre player that is always available, not a 16.4 ppg guy you expect will miss 30 games every season. Murray is making at least $15M more than his true worth.
Next year, Jokic, Murray, and Porter will be making close to $150M, which may make it impossible to re-sign Aaron Gordon, and will force a weak bench.
Gordon is arguably more important with how amazing he plays with Jokic, and Denver has to copy the Celtics and pay 4 guys or they’ll lose him.
I wonder what the league’s plan is to handle this as more and more teams are straddled with salary issues?
My Warriors just went ahead and paid it but as you can see that got old after 8 years. Plus it’s tougher now and more penalties than before.
Another team that is taking it hard because of the CBA restrictions. I can bet money they redo the next CBA with less taxes on the rich clubs. Teams complained about the warriors, Clippers and Suns but now they are the ones that can’t spend.
Nuggets future doesn’t look too good. Probably one and done.
Murray’s contract situation and result is nothing new here, because the nuggets without a bench run their starters into the ground previously anyway.
Same thing will happen this coming season.
And then as Aristotle writes above, what’s going to happen to Aaron Gordon. He’ll want to get paid also or will he be pushed out because a team can’t afford 4 huge contracts? Generally it’s 3 plus some middlings and minimums, but that’s it.
Then we also hear there’s a little Scuttle butt about Michael Malone not happy and clashing with management? Definitely one and done for the nuggets, even if Jokic is the best player on the planet.
Nuggets are looking like the bucks with all world talent, but they still need everything to go perfect and be lucky for a title chance.
A lot of money for a 0x all star but his playoff performances raised his value
When he plays.
But yes, agrreed. Excellent playoff performances.
What was the hold up if they ended up giving him the max anyway? Was there something to the timing?
Just in case he got hurt in the olympics? Probably not. They’re usually loyal to their guys anyway even if they get hurt.
Not sure, curious if anyone has the answer.
There was reporting that said they were waiting until after the Olympics. He also can’t be traded this season now. But both of those things still would’ve been true if he’d signed on August 7, so I’m not sure there was any specific timing-related reason to wait until now.
Of course, there was also no real benefit to rushing it. Plenty of other guys (Zubac, McConnell, Steph) have also signed extensions lately, and there will be more to come in the next six weeks.
Luke you mentioned this above which is an interesting thought. Could have been in the back of the minds of management, but they were never say it out loud.
“There was speculation that Denver may be rethinking that $52MM-per-year investment, especially after the veteran guard struggled in the 2024 postseason and at the Paris Olympics as a member of the Canadian national team.”
Gary , I think Nuggets caught between the proverbial rock and hard place. They don’t want to give injury-plagued Murray the Max, but if they don’t he leaves at the end of this season and they can’t replace him. Pick your poison.
Nugs must think they can get something nice for MPJ. Committing to Murray after what he displayed for Canada is alarming.
If only cheap owners weren’t such whiney folks. They are literally upset that some owners spend to win… Who knew!
Murray is a closer this is deserved and technically cheap since he never gets AS or All NBA teams
I find it amusing than whenever teams give good players their bag that everyone spouts off about the said player being too big of risk. Every time a team signs a player to a contract it is a risk but it’s hard to compete if you let every player walk when it’s time to pay up. It’s not like Denver can let him walk and then just sign another guy to replace him.
You’re exactly right but what I’m saying is and maybe the others are too, is that the nuggets have a crap bench. Those guys walk. Bench guys on 1 year contracts go elsewhere and get paid. And then the Nuggets run the starters into the ground.
And then also, what are you going to do with Aaron Gordon? Pay him too? Now your tax bill is through the roof. It’s just a mess all around.
But you’re right you can’t just let Murray walk. Especially since he knows the system, plays well with Jokic, and he’s pretty good. Be really tough to replace him if you could at all.
Nuggets seem to have choseb their wingmen for Jokic and the rest will be moveable vets and rookies…
Porter Jnr and Murray just have a lot of health question marks hanging over them…
Both could be great fits… But it’s Gordon who deserves the wingman paycheck the most…
I agree. Soon as the Nuggets brought in Aaron Gordon they excelled.