This summer, the Oklahoma City Thunder were pegged as the Western Conference favorite after making a splash twice — first trading for Alex Caruso from Chicago before signing Isaiah Hartenstein away from the New York Knicks in free agency.
The Thunder will have to keep a close eye on the rest of the Western Conference in the coming years, as their young core is seen as a future force for the next decade.
On Saturday, Murray signed a four-year, $208 million maximum contract extension with the Denver Nuggets, locking that franchise into a roster that has championship pedigree but must rely on developing depth with cost-controlled avenues.
Anytime you can keep a duo the caliber of Nikola Jokic and Murray together, who once lifted a Larry O’Brien Trophy, you have to do it as a franchise. Even if the back-end finances get thorny.
Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray has agreed to a four-year contract extension worth up to $208 million, his agents Jeff Schwartz and Mike George told ESPN. The deal, which guarantees Murray $244 million over the next five seasons, gives the franchise a franchise anchor. pic.twitter.com/XDfBM4oX1Z
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 7, 2024
Last season, the Denver Nuggets saw Murray play in 59 games, averaging 21.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 48 percent from the field, 42 percent from beyond the arc and 85 percent from the free throw line.
Aside from a few crucial shots, notably against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Nuggets left the playoffs disappointed with Murray and his general ineffectiveness. That disappointment continued into the summer, where Murray’s constant misfires led to a considerable underperformance by the Canadian team.
That’s a lot of money to commit to a player after a disappointing season, but Denver had no other options. Not signing the extension would have allowed Murray to walk away for free by becoming an unrestricted free agent this summer, something Denver has already hurt in the past by not paying Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in back-to-back offseasons.
With Aaron Gordon potentially eligible for an extension soon, the Nuggets seem locked into the core that has already won them a title. They’ve had to flex their muscles between cost-effective options around Jokic, Murray and Gordon.
Despite that contractual security, it appears the Oklahoma City Thunder have outplayed the Denver Nuggets up and down their roster. While Jokic is the best player in the world, Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is no slouch with Bricktown’s depth blowing up the Mile High team.
Still, Denver looks set to contend for years to come, facing Oklahoma City along the way.
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