Michael Malone’s challenge for Jamal Murray in the new year is also Murray’s financial incentive.
Injury skepticism now completely behind him entering 2023-24, Murray is an NBA champion whose reputation as one of the league’s elite point guards has relied on his playoff pedigree, when more eyes have been on him. But his next contract is dependent on the individual, regular-season honors that he says aren’t as important to him as winning a second ring.
“My challenge for Jamal is to show that you can do what you did in 20 playoff games,” Malone said at Monday’s Nuggets media day on the eve of training camp. “Because what Jamal did in the playoffs was ridiculous. I know everybody talks about the Nuggets and Nikola. And Nikola’s a great player, but what Jamal did was incredible. … Now the challenge is, OK, you did it 20 games. You showed the world what you’re capable of. I want Jamal Murray to be an All-Star. I want Jamal Murray to be an All-NBA player.
“And to do that, what’s he have to do? He’s got to do it in October. He’s got to do it in November. He can’t do the slow start. The guys that are on top of their game, they bring it every single night.”
Those more sparsely watched games early in the season could contribute substantially to Murray’s next contract, if Denver’s preseason media day was any indicator. Murray, due to become an unrestricted free agent in 2025, remains eligible for a three-year, $145 million extension that can be signed by Oct. 23. But if he chooses to wait until next summer to engage in contract talks, he can cling to a significant bonus opportunity. Murray would become eligible for the league supermax if he earns All-NBA honors this season.
Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth said the organization and Murray’s agent, Jeff Schwartz, are in constant communication. The latest, according to Booth: “I think he felt at the time they’d just rather play it out.”
“We value him highly, and obviously, if he wanted an extension, we would have him one,” Booth said.
Murray confirmed that “we haven’t had that conversation yet” — a sign the 26-year-old is ready to bet on himself.
The 2023 playoffs were an extraordinary display of Murray’s superstar potential. He averaged 26.1 points, 7.1 assists and shot 39.6% from 3-point range in 40 minutes per game, even matching Nikola Jokic’s 30-point triple-double in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
It was a pinnacle after a somewhat slow ascent early in the season. Through Christmas 2022 — albeit averaging eight fewer minutes than in the playoffs — Murray scored 18.1 points per game and wasn’t as efficient shooting the 3-pointer (35.6%). The regular season came and went, and he remained without All-Star or All-NBA recognition in his career.
This time, of course, Murray has the benefit of not being fresh off an injury as the season begins.
“It’s crazy we won it last year, but me and Jamal — we were kind of rehabbing during the season,” said Michael Porter Jr., who’s dealt with numerous injuries throughout his career.
After withdrawing from FIBA World Cup training camp, Murray was free to spend his summer making music videos with Jack Harlow and celebrating a championship rather than putting more strain on his recently recovered leg.
“He knew that Serbia was going to beat him anyway,” Jokic hypothesized when Murray was asked to explain his withdrawal. The Serbians knocked off Murray’s native Canada in the semifinal, with neither Jokic nor Murray participating.
“I just needed more time,” Murray said. “I didn’t want to go from one training camp to another training camp right after the playoffs, so it was just really about taking care of my body. What was best for me and my family. Obviously it was a shorter offseason than normal, so I had to really make the most of my time.”
Murray spent time with a UFC fighter over the summer, as he likes to do most offseasons, to cultivate his interest in martial arts. He mentored young Nuggets who sought workout advice. He left Jokic to his quiet life in Serbia, like most of the organization did, with exceptions. “Only drunk calls,” Murray said, grinning.
He returned to Denver to prepare for training camp with a repeat on his mind more than a supermax. When asked about Malone’s challenge — playoff-caliber productivity in the fall months — Murray said he doesn’t expect to match those numbers in fewer minutes. Load management will be a topic for him and Malone, after all. In Murray’s eyes, the early portion of the season will be about slowly ramping up his game for the postseason with another deep run in mind.
“I’d rather be a champion,” he said. “A lot of guys are All-Stars and not champions.”
