"I know Josh and Mr. Stan Kroenke are big Jamal guys.": Jamal Murray will get supermax after relinquishing $145 million extension
The Denver Nuggets seem to believe in Jamal Murray to be their franchise cornerstone alongside Nikola Jokic for the foreseeable future. There's not much to be surprised about considering the Canadian point guard's exploits last season, guiding the Nuggets to the No. 1 seed and the championship in the playoffs.
Murray was coming back after a year and a half, spending most of his time recovering from an unfortunate ACL tear in his left knee in April 2021. The Nuggets struggled in his absence, failing to get past the conference semis in 2020-21 and losing in the first round of the 2022 playoffs.
In Murray's comeback season last year, he averaged 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game in the regular season. He upped his contribution come playoff time, tallying 26.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 7.1 assists. With this solid run, he improved his chances of securing a lucrative supermax deal when his current contract expires.
Nuggets' GM Calvin Booth reflected on Jamal Murray's supermax prospects in a recent interview with Sportskeeda's Mark Medina, saying:
"If he accomplishes a goal and makes All-NBA, I know Josh [Kroenke] and Mr. K [Stan Kroenke] are big Jamal guys. So, we’ll step up and do what we need to do.”
Murray is eligible for a $145 million extension, per The Denver Post. However, he's unlikely to sign that. Murray can secure the supermax contract next summer if he makes the All-NBA. Even if he falls short of an All-NBA, Murray will likely secure a lucrative extension.
How much would Jamal Murray's potential supermax extension be worth?
Jamal Murray is among the eight supermax candidates entering the 2023-24 NBA season. The Denver Nuggets point guard is the only non-All-Star and non-All-NBA player in that list, which includes Luka Doncic, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Bam Adebayo, among others.
Murray makes the list on the back of his spectacular playoff run. He is the second player after Kevin Durant to record multiple postseasons with a 50/40/90 split while averaging 30 points per game. He did that last season and in 2020 during the Nuggets' conference finals run.
According to ESPN's Bobby Marks, Murray could earn a deal worth $303 million for five years if he makes the All-NBA team this season. With this thought in the back of his head, one can expect Murray to go all guns blazing during the regular season instead of his usual pattern of turning up the heat come playoff time.