Jamal Murray

Nuggets Show Significant Interest In Zach LaVine

December 17th, 2024 at 8:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nuggets have interest in making a deal for Bulls wing Zach LaVine, The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Tony Jones report.

Denver is active in the market for an offensive upgrade at the wing position to ease some of the burden off Nikola Jokic. Despite a history of injury issues, LaVine would certainly fit that bill. He’s averaging 21.7 points and 4.2 assists per game this season and holds career shooting percentages of 46.6% from the field and 38.4% on three-pointers.

LaVine is also on a sizable contract — $43MM this season, $45.9MM next season and a $48.9MM player option for 2026/27.

LaVine isn’t the only player the Nuggets are looking at. They have also expressed interest or have had preliminary trade discussions regarding Jordan Poole, Jordan Clarkson, De’Andre Hunter, Cameron Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas, per The Athletic. Brandon Ingram, currently sidelined by an ankle injury, is on the Nuggets’ radar too, SNY TV’s Ian Begley tweets.

However, league sources tell Amick and Jones that Denver’s focus on LaVine in recent talks has been “significant.”

Any big trade Denver might make would likely involve Michael Porter Jr., according to The Athletic duo. Porter is making $35.8MM this season, $38.3MM next season and $40.8MM in 2026/27.

Porter is off to a strong start statistically, averaging 18.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per contest. He’s shooting 51.2% overall and 38.5% on three-point attempts.

So why is Denver willing to part with him? The Nuggets are seeking help in the form of someone who is able to create offense. Jokić and Jamal Murray are the only players on the roster who are consistently capable of creating their own shots, The Athletic notes.

Little-used forward Zeke Nnaji, a 2020 first-round pick, is also available. He’s signed through the 2027/28 season on a four-year, $32MM deal that includes a player option.

Northwest Notes: Timberwolves, Jazz, Holmes, Murray, Nuggets

December 14th, 2024 at 11:14am CST by Tristan Tucker

After reaching the Western Conference Finals last year, the Timberwolves got off to a rocky start to the 2024/25 season. But they’ve now won five of their last six games, with Chris Hine of the Star Tribune suggesting that increased communication off the court is one key reason for the turnaround.

Minnesota lost four straight games in November following a game in Toronto in which Julius Randle didn’t get the ball to Rudy Gobert late, upsetting the Timberwolves center. The team had a player-only meeting, and their group chat has been instrumental in starting to turn the season around.

“That’s essentially our safe space,” guard Donte DiVincenzo said. “Everybody knows whatever you say in there stays in there. More so like 90% of the time you’re joking around, messing around, sending funny stuff back and forth, picking on each other. Then when [stuff] hits the fan, that’s where most guys feel comfortable being able to express what they’re thinking.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Second-year forward Taylor Hendricks is feeling the Jazz‘s “show love” motto while recovering from his season-ending leg injury. The team came together around him and has kept him in the mix despite his injury absence, according to The Athletic’s Jason Quick. “The guys reaching out to him and keeping him involved is important, just from a human level,” coach Will Hardy said. “Like, screw the team … this is a human thing. He’s part of our messed up little family.”
Nuggets first-round pick DaRon Holmes II will miss his entire rookie season due to an Achilles injury, but he doesn’t feel like he’s missing out on the rookie experience, Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes. Holmes is taking an optimistic approach to his injury recovery. “At the end of the day, I knew I was going to get better, and I looked at the positives,” Holmes said. “It’s kind of an advantage for me. I get to watch. Learn all the plays. And grow with all these teammates, and learn from great coaches. I get to have a great opportunity to learn in the best organization out there.”
Jamal Murray is dealing with plantar fasciitis, the Nuggets guard said on Friday, per Durando. Murray missed Denver’s last two games due to a hamstring injury, but revealed he that wasn’t the only injury affecting him. “I just kind of went out there and said, ‘I’m gonna give it what I’ve got,’” Murray said after scoring 20 on Friday. “Fresh legs. Had energy. Feel good now. Some plantar fasciitis. Everybody’s going through something. But I’m good, man. Excited to be back.” He’s averaging 17.9 points per game this season.
While the Nuggets have had some lows this season, including a loss to the 3-20 Wizards, they’re not fractured, in the eyes of DeAndre Jordan, Durando writes in another story. “Both good and bad,” the veteran said about the how the team is dealing with adversity. “It’s a game of runs. It’s a roller coaster out there. We’re handling it OK. We haven’t splintered. It hasn’t become a blame game. When you get to that point, I think the team is done. And we’re not there. … Just try to string together a few wins here. Because once you win, that’s all that matters.”

Northwest Notes: Braun, Nuggets, R. Williams, Thunder

December 12th, 2024 at 6:37pm CST by Rory Maher

In an lengthy interview with Spencer Davies of RG.org, Nuggets wing Christian Braun says he has learned from a number of veterans over the course of his three NBA seasons, including Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic. Braun, who is posting career highs in several statistics, will be eligible for a rookie scale extension next offseason.

“I mean, I’ve learned a ton in my years, not just from [Jokic]. Each player I’ve played with, I think, has done a good job of helping me out,” Braun told RG. “Just watching KCP [Kentavious Caldwell-Pope] and Bruce [Brown] and how they played off of [Jokic] helped me a lot, and they were always quick to reach out and tell me what they thought or what they saw.

” … You can take a little bit from each person. I think I’ve tried to take a little bit from each of the guys that have been in the league for a long time. Whether it was Ish Smith, DJ [DeAndre Jordan], they all do little things. Jeff Green. Just watching each person’s routine and try to take a little part of each of their routine that I like and make it mine and do it my way.

“But just watching [Jokic’s] approach and the way he was in the training room, the way he’s on the court, the way he approaches each game, his routine, his consistency. Each person, like I said, has good parts of their routine that I try to put into mine, but I’m still learning every day and trying to implement different things.”

Here’s more from the Northwest:

Tony Jones of The Athletic takes a look at the Nuggets‘ “confusing” and “inconsistent” start to the season, with Denver currently holding a 12-10 record despite regular “herculean” efforts from three-time MVP Jokic, who may be having the best season of his career. According to Jones, while depth has been an issue, the biggest concern for the Nuggets has been the play of Murray, who hasn’t looked like the same player who helped Denver win its first NBA championship in 2023.
Big man Robert Williams is nearing a return for the Trail Blazers following a six-game absence while in the league’s concussion protocol, writes Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. As Highkin notes, Williams has been sidelined by numerous injuries throughout his career, but a hard fall vs. Memphis on Nov. 25 resulted in his first concussion. “I was in a daze,” Williams said. “Nausea, headaches, stuff like that. I didn’t feel terrible. I’ve seen people with worse concussions than mine, for sure. But it slowed me down.” Williams, who was a full practice participant on Thursday, needs to pass one more computer-based test before being cleared by the medical staff — that could come on Friday vs. San Antonio. “I’m tired of dealing with all this s–t, man,” said Williams, who also missed several weeks early in the season due to a hamstring injury. “I miss the game so much. Trying to have fun with my teammates on the court, not just in practice.”
Unlike some teams, who watch film as a whole group, the Thunder split into subgroups for their sessions, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman, who details how Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams have grown comfortable using game tape to learn and grow from their mistakes. “Film, for me, opens my eyes,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s right in your face. The writing is on the wall. If I should’ve been in this spot, it’s right in front of your face that you should’ve been in that spot. If I should’ve took a shot and I was passive-aggressive, it’s right in front of my face.“

Northwest Notes: Henderson, SGA, Dort, Wallace, Murray

December 12th, 2024 at 12:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Trail Blazers second-year guard Scoot Henderson believes his team is ready to blossom, as he told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

“I think we’ll pan out to be one of the top teams in the league pretty soon with the young core that we have and the dogs on our team,” he said. “You’ve got Donovan Clingan, who’s shown little glimpses of what he can do, and Shaedon (Sharpe). I try to get those guys the ball, and I try to do my thing. My main thing is getting guys the ball, letting them rock out, and letting the world see their talent.

“I’m trying to be a leader on and off the floor and get to know the guys a little bit more. I think we’re a core that plays hard and is going to shock a lot of teams throughout the season.”

Portland has a lot of ground to make up, as the Trail Blazers are 8-16 after losing six of their last seven games.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander readily accepts his role as a team leader, he told Marc J. Spears of Andscape. “I embrace it for sure,” he said. “It comes with a burden. It comes with the crown. It comes with all the things you dream about as a kid being a superstar in the NBA. I definitely dreamed about being this as a player and these things come with it. And I knew that. So, I definitely embrace it.”
The combination of Luguentz Dort and Cason Wallace held Mavericks superstars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to a total of 33 points in the Thunder‘s NBA Cup quarterfinal win on Tuesday. It was the lowest combined scoring total for the backcourt duo in any game that both Doncic and Irving appeared in since they became teammates. “Hell of a job by Lu and Cason,” Gilgeous-Alexander told Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “It’s more impressive to hold them that low than it is for me to get 39 points. I think to hold those two that low really gave us a chance to win the game. We felt like we had control of the game because of that. Keeping those two in check like that is very rare.”
Nuggets guard Jamal Murray is dealing with some hamstring irritation and it’s uncertain whether he’ll play against the Clippers on Friday. “He was able to go through portions of practice (Wednesday), which was great to have him out there,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone told Bennett Durando of the Denver Post. “He got some good work in yesterday in terms of treatment and player development. And then we’ll see how he feels from his work today. I’d say for Friday night, he’s still going to be listed as questionable.”

Northwest Notes: Williams, Nuggets, Thunder, McDaniels

November 28th, 2024 at 8:02pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Star Thunder forward Jalen Williams departed the first half of Oklahoma City’s 105-101 road win Wednesday over the Warriors with a right eye injury, per Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman.

All-NBA Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander struggled mightily without Williams. He shot just 5-for-16 from the floor in the second half.

Oklahoma City center Isaiah Hartenstein opined that the team’s general approach to the game should not have been greatly changed even with the absence of Williams late. Instead, with Gilgeous-Alexander’s shot not falling, the team struggled to close out Golden State, nearly squandering its entire 19-point lead.

“But that shouldn’t change the way we play,” Hartenstein said of Williams’ departure. “I think we didn’t execute the way we should have. … We shouldn’t have been in that situation.”

There’s more out of the Northwest:

The Nuggets have had difficulty scoring in the “middle eight” of their first halves — the final four minutes of the first quarter and first four minutes of the second, observes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “We were talking about that the other day, about how I think there’s only one time in the first 16 games this season that we’ve won the last four minutes of the first quarter and the first four minutes of the second quarter,” head coach Michael Malone said. “Every other game, (we lose) that eight-minute stretch, which coincides usually with Nikola (Jokic) being out. So there are a lot of nights where I think we actually get off to good starts. That we’re actually playing well. And then we have that stretch, that four-, six-, eight-minute stretch where the bottom falls out. … And the second half for whatever reason has been better.” According to Durando, Denver ranked No. 2 overall in second-half net rating ahead of their most recent matchup, and No. 29 in first halves.
Beyond their offensive issues in the “middle eight” period of first halves, the Nuggets have also shown slippage on defense early on this season, thanks in part to Aaron Gordon‘s extended absence. During their 122-103 win Wednesday against the Jazz, at least, the Nuggets appeared much improved on that end of the floor too, Durando writes in another Denver Post story. Point guard Jamal Murray picked up opponents for all 94 feet. “Being more physical from the start of the possession,” Murray said of his better defensive effort. “Not (letting) them get to their spots easy or set their screens where they want to set it. Stuff like that. So I think as a group, not just one or two guys, but getting everybody to do that (is important). And we were doing a good job of talking — I’m talking about this game. We’ve been doing a terrible job. But we did a better job today, of switching and talking, and even if there is a mistake or a blow-by, having help behind it.”
After being named to the 2024 All-Defensive Second Team, Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels is looking to level up this season, aspiring to be named to the All-Defensive First Team in 2025, writes Marc J. Spears of Andscape. He’s currently in the first season of a five-year, $131MM contract extension he inked with Minnesota in the 2023 offseason. “That is one of my goals, being [First Team],” McDaniels said. “I was [Second Team] last season. It’s a big goal. First Team, we take it first step by step. For me, I guard the best players. I’m not shutting them down, but I make it tough for them. I make their [shooting] percentages lower.

Michael Malone Rips Nuggets’ Effort Following Blowout Loss

November 26th, 2024 at 9:11am CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets lost at home for the second time in four days on Monday, falling by a score of 145-118 to the Knicks. Asked by a reporter during his post-game media session if he was prepared to “flush” the game and move on, head coach Michael Malone strongly pushed back on that idea (Twitter video link via DNVR Sports).

“F–k that, no, no, no. We’re not flushing,” Malone said. “You don’t flush when you get embarrassed. You don’t flush when you gave up 145 points. You don’t flush when you didn’t play hard, didn’t play with effort, didn’t play with physicality. I’m not flushing anything.”

Malone praised Russell Westbrook, who scored a team-high 27 points, for his willingness to be “vocal” on and off the court, but said he’d like to see more of that sort of leadership from players who have been cornerstones in Denver for years.

“I need Nikola Jokic, I need Jamal Murray,” Malone said. “I need guys that have been here in that starting lineup to be vocal.”

The Nuggets have been without starting forward Aaron Gordon since November 4 due to a calf injury, and Jokic and Murray have each missed a few games, but Malone doesn’t view that as an excuse for a modest 9-7 record and what he views as an inconsistent compete level so far this season.

“Regardless of who’s in (and) who’s out, who do we want to be as a team?” Malone said. “Leadership would be great. toughness would be great. Physicality would be great. Playing like you actually care would be great. We didn’t do that tonight.

“… We’re just fooling ourselves,” Malone added later. “Yes, (the Knicks) are a good team, but if that’s the effort we’re going to give forth, we won’t even be close to being a playoff team.”

Jokic agreed with Malone’s assessment, telling reporters that the Nuggets needed “a good punch in the face just to wake up” and said the players “collectively need to do a better job” (link via ESPN.com). Murray agreed that it was on the players, not the coaches, to figure things out and wondered if staying in Los Angeles overnight after Saturday’s win vs. the Lakers might’ve played a part in the team’s sluggishness on Monday.

“It’s a long season. Guys have lives outside of basketball,” Murray said (Twitter video link via Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports). “We just beat L.A. in L.A. We’ve got some guys who live in L.A., so (we) stayed in L.A. I don’t think the focus was there from everybody, and that’s what happens when you don’t have the focus.”

The Nuggets are currently tied with the Suns for the seventh-best record in a crowded Western Conference and sit just one game ahead of the No. 11 Timberwolves.

Northwest Notes: Kessler, Markkanen, Murray, Hartenstein

November 23rd, 2024 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Jazz turned in their best defensive performance of the season Saturday, and it’s no coincidence that Walker Kessler was back on the court, writes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. After missing six games due to hip bursitis, Kessler returned to the starting lineup and provided a strong interior presence to shut down the Knicks.

Larsen notes that Utah limited New York to a season-worst 103.9 offensive rating, and when the Knicks were forced to set up their half-court offense, that rating dropped to a remarkable 69.7. Larsen adds that with Kessler serving as a deterrent, New York only attempted 11 shots at the rim in the entire game.

Kessler has also become a greater threat on offense in his third NBA season, Larsen states. His ability to roll to the rim frequently caused New York’s offense to collapse and set up open three-point shots.

“Obviously he’s a big target down there on the block, and he’s understanding that too, that he’s a big target,” Lauri Markkanen said. “So people are swarming him when he gets to the basket, and he’s smart enough to make those reads.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Jazz are utilizing Markkanen differently now than they were earlier in the season, Larsen observes in the same piece. They had been using him as a screener and letting him attack from the elbow after a defensive switch. However, opponents were countering that with double teams and forcing him to pass. Now Markkanen is coming off screens more often and making quick decisions once he touches the ball.
Jamal Murray‘s inconsistent shooting may be shortening the championship window for Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets, contends Sean Keeler of The Denver Post. Murray was 4-of-16 in Friday’s loss to Dallas and hasn’t been producing the way the team had hoped when it gave him a $209MM extension during the offseason. Add in a poor defensive rating, and Keeler suggests it may be time to consider benching Murray late in games. “We’ve got to find a way,” coach Michael Malone said after the loss. “And I have to find a way to help to get Jamal going.”
Isaiah Hartenstein‘s season debut this week provided an emotional lift for the Thunder, who had been getting bullied by larger teams with their top three big men sidelined, per Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. The free agent addition played 29 minutes off the bench, posting 13 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks. He also formed an imposing defensive combination alongside Alex Caruso. “He breathed some life into us,” coach Mark Daigneault said.

Nuggets Notes: Jokic, Westbrook, Cancar, Murray

November 20th, 2024 at 8:40am CST by Luke Adams

After a pair of dismal performances in New Orleans and Memphis during the first two games of a Nikola Jokic-less road trip, the Nuggets bounced back on Tuesday, securing a 12-point victory in a rematch with the Grizzlies. It was a group effort, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, with Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., Christian Braun, and Russell Westbrook among those who had strong showings and made up for the absence of the three-time MVP, who has been out for personal reasons.

“We’re not always going to have the luxury of being able to rely on one person,” Nuggets forward Peyton Watson said prior to the game. “… Without him, our mindset should change. I don’t think that it should stay the same. I think we should all take it upon ourselves that we have more responsibility. … I think that’s something that’s a privilege, being able to be in these situations and be counted on and have the pressure on us.”

Head coach Michael Malone, who said before the game that he wasn’t sure whether or not Jokic would be available when the Nuggets return home on Friday to host the Mavericks, also stressed the importance of learning to win when the superstar center isn’t available.

“All we talked about all day long is: ‘We’ve lost two in a row, and don’t waste on energy on who’s not here; we have enough talent in the room to get the job done,'” Malone said, per Durando.

Here’s more on the Nuggets:

Westbrook finished Tuesday’s win with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 14 assists, making him the first player in NBA history to reach 200 career triple-doubles (story via ESPN.com). “It’s hard to put into words,” teammate Julian Strawther said of the accomplishment. “Two-hundred triple-doubles is a lot. I don’t even know if I’ve got 200 career games.” It’s possible Westbrook’s record will eventually be broken by a current teammate — Jokic ranks fourth on the league’s all-time triple-double list with 136.
Nuggets forward Vlatko Cancar exited Tuesday’s game in the second quarter due to a left knee sprain and didn’t return, as Durando details for The Denver Post. It’s the same knee in which he tore his ACL last summer. Asked after the game if there’s any fear of another tear, Malone said he had yet to speak to the medical staff. “I would hate to be premature with any speculation in terms of what happened,” the Nuggets’ coach said. “When I spoke to him at halftime, he was in good spirits. He seemed to be fairly pain-free. It just felt a little uncomfortable when he came down. So we’ll get with our training staff, and we’ll kind of get a better idea of what’s going on with that. And hopefully it’s nothing major and we can get him back out there, because I thought Vlatko with that second unit was really, really effective.” Prior to the injury, Cancar had scored five points and grabbed four rebounds in 11 minutes of action.
Murray, who signed a four-year, maximum-salary extension this offseason, had struggled entering Tuesday’s game, averaging 17.3 points per game on 39.9% shooting (30.2% on three-pointers). The standout guard enjoyed one of his best nights of the season in Memphis on Tuesday, pouring in 27 points on 10-of-20 shooting. Speaking to Tony Jones of The Athletic, Murray said he’s fully healthy and just needs to be more assertive offensively. “I take full accountability,” Murray said of his recent slump. “It’s not easy when you aren’t playing well. It hasn’t been easy with guys like Nikola and Aaron (Gordon) out. We were fully capable of winning these last games. But, for me, I have to play better. I have to take account for that. It starts with me.”

Northwest Notes: Braun, R. Williams, Mitchell, K. Williams

November 10th, 2024 at 11:16am CST by Rory Maher

Third-year wing Christian Braun is learning from Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic in his first season as a full-time Nuggets starter, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Murray, whose locker is next to Braun’s, often tells the 23-year-old to stay in attack mode.

“‘Keep shooting the ball. Keep being aggressive. Get up more attempts,’” Braun told The Post. “Constantly. When he’s hurt. When he’s not playing. He’s, before the game, telling me he wants me to do this. During the game, he sees this. He’ll point it out. … It’s not just shooting. He wants to challenge me. ‘Hey, I want you to pick this guy up full court.’”

Braun has been one of the bright spots of the early portion of the season in Denver, establishing new career highs in several categories (16.6 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.0 SPG and 1.0 BPG on an elite .558/.500/.818 shooting line in 35.3 MPG) while being tasked with slowing down the opposing teams’ top perimeter scorer. He has also posted a positive plus/minus in each of the Nuggets’ nine games thus far.

Here are a few more notes from the Northwest Division:

In his first regular season game in a little over a year, Trail Blazers big man Robert Williams made an immediate impact, per Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian (subscriber link). Williams only played six games last season due to a serious knee injury, then was slowed by a hamstring strain in training camp. In Friday’s loss to Minnesota, the 27-year-old notched 13 points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in 17 minutes, only missing one field goal attempt and converting his first career three-pointer. “Defensively, he’s all over the place,” head coach Chauncey Billups said. “He’s vocal. He’s talking. His activity, Rebounds, blocked shots, he kind of does it all. He’s got a knack for it. And then on the other end, you never look at him as a three-point threat, but he stepped up and knocked that one down.”
Williams’ return was obviously a welcome sight, but it will also impact the Trail Blazers‘ rotation. Minnesota’s lineup features plenty of size, so Billups felt comfortable playing Williams alongside Deandre Ayton or Donovan Clingan. However, that won’t always be the case, Fentress writes. “There’ll be some nights that it doesn’t happen, that we won’t play that way based on matchups,” Billups said. “But some teams, they present opportunities for you to do so.”
Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell, the No. 38 overall pick of June’s draft, continues to impress in his rookie season, according to Rylan Stiles of SI.com. Mitchell, who has played in each of the Thunder’s nine games during their 8-1 start, recorded 12 points (on 5-of-6 shooting), two rebounds, and career highs of seven assists and three steals in Friday’s victory vs. Houston.
Thunder swingman Kenrich Williams, who is recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, is making progress toward a return. He was assigned to the Oklahoma City Blue — the Thunder’s G League affiliate — for a practice on Saturday before being recalled, Stiles tweets.

Nuggets Notes: Watson, Braun, Strawther, Murray, Jokic

November 8th, 2024 at 7:04pm CST by Luke Adams

While general manager Calvin Booth has taken some criticism during the past couple years for letting veteran role players get away in free agency and attempting to replace them with youngsters, several recent Nuggets first-round picks are making positive strides this fall, having come up big in the team’s two wins this week.

With starters Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon unavailable due to injuries, Denver has leaned on 2022 first-rounders Peyton Watson and Christian Braun and 2023 first-rounder Julian Strawther in closing lineups alongside Nikola Jokic and Michael Porter Jr. That five-man unit has a net rating of +41.7 in 18 minutes in the past two games, both of which the Nuggets won by two points.

“I’m saying to myself, ‘Holy s–t … I never envisioned this lineup being out there to close the game,'” head coach Michael Malone said after Monday’s victory over Toronto, per Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette (subscription required). Malone went back to the same group in the fourth quarter two days later to help secure a win over the undefeated Thunder.

“Talk about the epitome of ‘Project Dynasty,'” Watson said after Monday’s win, before earning his first start of the season, logging 34 minutes, and making a game-saving block in Wednesday’s victory. “Obviously, me and CB came in together, and that’s my road dog, but also adding Julian to our young core, it meant a lot to us. That was just kind of a little preview of what’s to come for us.”

Here’s more on the Nuggets:

After missing three consecutive games while in the NBA’s concussion protocol, Murray is poised to make his return on Friday vs. Miami. Malone told reporters that he expects Murray to play as long as he has no setbacks during his pregame routine, tweets Benedetto.
Only five players in NBA history – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and LeBron James – have won at least four MVP awards. Could Jokic join that exclusive club this season? Bennett Durando of The Denver Post considers that question, speaking to several Nuggets players who raved about their All-NBA teammate. Russell Westbrook referred to Jokic as “the best player on the planet,” DeAndre Jordan noted that the big man’s triple-doubles have become commonplace, and Braun pointed out that Jokic continues to expand his game. “It seems like he gets better every year,” Braun said. “I don’t know that — he definitely improved, but he can do whatever you need. So this year, he sees that we need to hit more threes. Seems like he’s taking more threes.” Through eight games, Jokic’s three-point percentage (51.4%) and three-point attempts per game (4.4) are career highs. He’s also leading the NBA in assists (11.0) and rebounds (13.5) per game while scoring a career-best 28.8 points per night.
In case you missed it, the Nuggets control one of the top 15 largest trade exceptions in the NBA, though their position relative to the luxury tax line may make them reluctant to use it to take on more salary during the season.

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