Jamal Murray contract extension with the Denver Nuggets turns to a milestone but they need a supportive forward
Calvin Booth and the Denver Nuggets have placed a lot of their future in the hands of their young draft picks. Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr. appear to be staying for a while (although that is less of a certainty than it was a year ago). But beyond that, are trades on the horizon? Is free agency going to be the way forward? Or will Denver look to continue to add through the draft? The DNVR Nuggets podcast team answers that and more on today’s show. Adam Mares, Brendan Vogt, Harrison Wind, and D-Line C0. come to you LIVE from the DNVR Bar to break down everything you need to know in this edition of the DNVR Nuggets Podcast!
The NBA season is less than two months away. To prepare for the 2024-25 season, we’re looking at the three biggest questions facing each NBA team for next year. Next up is the former champions, trying to rebound from a second-round playoff loss, the Denver Nuggets.
The Nuggets center won his third NBA MVP award in the last four years last season, putting up averages of 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and nine assists. For the past four seasons, Jokic has led the NBA in all of the biggest advanced stats: win shares, Value Over Replacement Player, Player Efficiency Rating and box-score plus/minus, leading in both offensive and defensive BPM in the last three years.
The Serbian big man has also been remarkably durable, missing only 24 games in those four seasons. But he’s turning 30 in February, coming off two seasons where he played 180 total games, plus an Olympic tournament this summer. Jokic rarely gets injured to the point he sits out, a testament to his toughness. But can Denver keep banking on Jokic to play over 90 percent of the team’s games while remaining a top-5 scorer, passer and rebounder?
Honestly, he may well keep doing all those things. But as good as Jokic has been, it’s still dangerous to take his dominance for granted.
Sometimes it appears there’s a disconnect between Denver’s front office and head coach Michael Malone. GM Calvin Booth keeps collecting players from late in the first round and early in the second round, in order to provide low-priced rotation players for the Nuggets. Malone keeps losing faith in those players, preferring veterans like Justin Holiday and Reggie Jackson off the bench. This year, Malone may have no choice.
Denver let starting wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope leave for Orlando in free agency, traded Jackson in a cost-saving move and let Holiday go, seemingly forcing Malone to give minutes to young players. 23-year-old Christian Braun should take over KCP’s place in the starting lineup, while Malone is going to have to give more minutes to 21-year-old Peyton Watson and 22-year-old Julian Strawther, simply because he doesn’t have other options.
