Jamal Murray’s All-Star Dreams Hinge on Nuggets’ Shocking Offseason Overhaul

The Denver Nuggets front office knew that they had to make even more changes after firing their General Manager, Calvin Booth, and long-time head coach, Michael Malone.

Even though they pushed the eventual NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games in the 2025 Western Conference Semifinals, their roster was flawed.

Carried by immaculate performances by their superstar center Nikola Jokic and star forward Aaron Gordon, Denver fought through injury, coaching turnover, and, more importantly, roster construction, to make a decent run in the playoffs.

The lethal duo of Jamal Murray and Jokic was not as potent as in previous years, and without the two playing at the highest level together, it was an uphill battle for the Nuggets.

The Nuggets made some significant offseason moves to improve their depth and bolster areas of concern, which could benefit Murray in the long run. The team acquired sharpshooter Cameron Johnson from the Brooklyn Nets, and signed former champion with Denver, Bruce Brown, and Tim Hardaway Jr., while also adding a solid backup center in Jonas Valanciunas.

With those additions, it could open up more space for Murray to work and allow him to dominate in one-on-one matchups more consistently.

Murray is also entering the season with plenty of rest and recovery. In 2023, he was coming off a grueling NBA Finals run, and in 2024, he played for Team Canada in the Olympics, which may have stunted his stamina and rest at the beginning of the season.

Murray had a strong 2024-2025 campaign, despite the slow start. He averaged 21.4 points, six assists, and 3.9 rebounds in 67 games played, coming on strong towards the end of the season as he got his legs under him.

Over the course of the star point guard’s career, especially over the past few seasons, slow starts have been his downfall when it comes to making the All-Star team. As Murray has navigated the regular season, his performances have come at the expense of coasting until the playoffs begin.

There is no question that Murray rises a level or two when the playoffs start, and with new additions creating more space for Murray, he could play with the same fire he shows in the postseason.

However, with more reliable scoring options like Johnson, Brown, Hardaway Jr., and Valanciunas on the roster, Murray may not have to do too much. The less offensive burden that Murray has, the more of a decrease he could have in individual statistics.

Of course, the Western Conference is stacked with talent at the guard position, making it more difficult for Murray to break through and have an All-Star season, but for the Nuggets, Murray ascending to that level will transform them into a true title contender.

Michael Porter Jr. Makes Bold Nikola Jokić Claim