After falling short of repeating as NBA champions, the Denver Nuggets and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic have their eyes set on winning two titles in three seasons. But they’ll need a healthy, focused, and extended Jamal Murray to get there.
About that.
Just about 11 days after The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the Nuggets and Murray were working on the finer details of a four-year, $209 million extension, Murray has yet to sign on the dotted line. In an offseason where the Nuggets are trying to focus on internal growth while hoping Murray returns to elite form, it’s less-than-ideal news.
The delay is also, apparently, nothing to worry about.
According to Bennett Durando of the Denver Post, Murray and the Nuggets are expected to reach an agreement sometime after the 2024 Paris Olympics end in August. That’s because the negotiations have been put on the back burner as Murray focuses on competing in his first Olympics for Team Canada.
Murray has been at national team training camp this week to prepare for the Paris Olympics, a career milestone that he’s been eyeing for years. Murray and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are the leaders of a Canadian squad that will face the U.S. in an exhibition game Wednesday in Las Vegas. Murray’s Olympic debut will be July 27 in Lille, France, where Canada faces Greece in a marquee group stage opener. Giannis Antetokounmpo and company officially punched their ticket on Sunday by defeating Croatia.There’s a natural injury risk associated with competing at a high level during the offseason, and Murray was already hindered by a season’s worth of various leg injuries during the NBA playoffs. Staying healthy during international competition will obviously be important for him, with the likely max extension waiting back in Denver.