The Denver Nuggets were upset by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round — even with Anthony Edwards ruled out for the final two games of the series and otherwise limited by injury. It was a sad effort, to be frank. Nikola Jokić wasn’t less sharp than usual and Denver’s supporting cast did not hold up its end of the bargain.
In his final press conference of the season, Nuggets owner Josh Kroenke said “everything is gonna be on the table outside of trading Nikola [Jokic].” That could mean Jamal Murray is up for grabs — at the right price.
Josh Kroenke on upcoming Nuggets offseason:
“I think that everything is gonna be on the table outside of trading Nikola [Jokic].” pic.twitter.com/GwvUW1Lud7
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) May 8, 2026
Murray’s longstanding synergy with Jokić means Denver needs to be careful about overcorrecting. This was still a top-3 seed in the powerhouse Western Conference, after all. If the goal is to revamp the locker room and overhaul the roster around Jokić, however, the Nuggets should be able to get a nice haul for Murray on the heels of an All-NBA caliber season.
Here are a few potential frameworks for a deal:
Jamal Murray to the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas will look to accelerate its competitive timeline around Cooper Flagg next season. The Mavs fell to No. 9 in the lottery, which could take them out of the mix for top-shelf point guards like Mikel Brown Jr. and Kingston Flemings. New GM Mike Schmitz and team president Masai Ujiri may want to leave their mark on the franchise, too.
Desmond Bane and Mikal Bridges were both dealt for at least four first-round picks in recent years. Murray is already 29 — and signed to a weighty max contract — but he was probably one of the six best guards in the NBA last season. His proficient off-ball scoring and secondary playmaking chops would complement Flagg (and Kyrie Irving) quite well.
The Nuggets can use that pick on a direct replacement, or to target depth elsewhere with prospects like Brayden Burries, Aday Mara and Yaxel Lendeborg floating in that range on consensus boards. Denver also receives a couple distant first-round picks, including the Lakers’ unprotected 2029 selection.
Klay Thompson is over the hill, but he still has gravity as a shooter and you couldn’t hand-pick a better star to put him next to than Jokić. P.J. Washington can beef up the forward positions and give Denver some defensive flexibility as Peyton Watson enters free agency. There’s enough here for both sides to consider a change, especially with Thompson’s money coming off the books in a year.
Jamal Murray to the Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn has the cap space to provide Denver with significant financial relief and flexibility. Since the Nets don’t own their first-round pick next summer, the expectation is that Sean Marks will attempt to build a contender on the fly. Murray alone won’t take the Nets to the Finals, but it’s a nice first step.
With all the future picks at Brooklyn’s disposal after the Bridges trade, the Nets can sacrifice a bit of long-term equity without closing the door to another star-level addition. If Brooklyn wanted to capture the attention of, say, Giannis Antetokounmpo, with the NYC market on their side, a duo of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. is a lot more compelling than Porter and a collection of deeply mediocre young players.
Denver adds the No. 6 pick, with a chance to draft their next franchise guard next to Jokić. Whether it’s the speedy Kingston Flemings, a nuclear shooter like Mikel Brown Jr. or Keaton Wagler, or a proper pick-and-roll maestro like Darius Acuff Jr., that pick should be more valuable to the Nuggets than it is to the Nets, who don’t really need another guard.
The Nuggets also receive Philadelphia’s top-eight protected 2028 first-round pick as Joel Embiid and Paul George enter the twilight of their respective careers. Egor Dëmin was a flawed top-eight pick last summer, but he was still a lottery pick. His shooting and playmaking I.Q. at 6-foot-8 could appeal to Denver in a connective role, whether he’s starting or running the second-unit offense.
Jamal Murray to the Orlando Magic
Orlando pushed almost all its chips in with the Desmond Bane trade, only to flounder through various injury sagas and barely claim the No. 8 seed in the East. An impressive seven-game slugfest against the top-seeded Pistons still ended in defeat, with Jamahl Mosely out as head coach. Could the Magic double down with another aggressive trade, sacrificing long-term flexibility for immediate title contention in a wide-open Eastern Conference?
The combined financial obligations of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Bane and Murray, under the current CBA, would hamstring the Magic quite severely. So they’d need to think long and hard about it. That Jalen Suggs contract isn’t exactly a sunny stroll in the park either, though. Murray’s shooting and halfcourt creation skills would dramatically improve Orlando’s offensive functionality, especially if Banchero can commit to a more aggressive, attacking approach.
A healthy Murray and Bane would correct Orlando’s 3-point issue without sacrificing too much on defense. Anthony Black can step into some of the leftover Suggs minutes, replicating his unique defensive versatility on the perimeter. Murray can feast out of two-man actions with Orlando’s frontcourt stars. Hire the right coach, and suddenly the Magic feel like a proper wagon in a winnable conference. Just saying!
Denver adds more of an edge defensively with Suggs, who can hopefully hit enough spot-up 3s on spoon fed looks from Jokić. Jase Richardson played sparingly as a rookie, but he’s a brilliant off-ball scorer who should mesh beautifully with the Nuggets’ offensive identity. That helps to address their woeful bench depth, as does the arrival of Goga Bitadze, another dirty-work defender who immediately upgrades their backup center rotation, which has been a weak point for years.
Jamal Murray to the Detroit Pistons
Detroit is already an excellent team, but these playoffs have illuminated a need for more layers offensively. Their physicality edge is almost unmatched (expect against Orlando, apparently), but the Pistons need somebody other than Cade Cunningham who can consistently generate offense (and ideally knock down a few 3s in the process).
Murray is such a complementary fit next to Cunningham in the backcourt and he’s not a pushover on defense. In exchange, Denver recoups the No. 21 pick via Minnesota and a future first-round pick, along with a handful of immediate contributors.
Duncan Robinson’s endless off-ball motion and deadeye shooting should produce excellent results next to Jokić. Isaiah Stewart provides a level of defensive versatility and an f-you mentality the Nuggets supporting cast simply does not possess currently. Ron Holland has struggled to garner consistent minutes in Detroit, but he’s still a compelling long-term developmental bet with his unique dexterity and athleticism as a slasher.
Denver retools its roster in a more modern fashion, while the Pistons add that extra shot-making spark it so desperately needs. This could prove to be a win-win trade for two teams with 2027 championship aspirations.
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