Nuggets Reportedly Sign Rising Point Guard Jamal Murray to 5-Year Max Extension
By Mark Powell
Jamal Murray's payday has come, and it's well-deserved.
The former Kentucky guard had a breakout season for the Denver Nuggets in 2018-19, leading his team to the second-best record in the Western Conference and a first-round playoff series victory over the San Antonio Spurs. Heading into 2019, Murray and star big man Nikola Jokic are expected to take major strides, and lead the Nuggets to at the very least a Western Conference Finals berth.
Given Denver isn't a popular free agent destination, we cannot stress the importance of locking up their homegrown talent. The Nuggets were listening, evidently.
Murray got paid.
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 1, 2019
Jamal Murray and the Nuggets have agreed to a 5-year, $170M max contract extension, per @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/OMEAI82QFk
Murray's max cannot be debated, especially after the 22-year-old and former No. 7 overall pick came alive in postseason series against the Spurs and Portland Trail Blazers. He and Jokic form an elusive duo, especially on the pick-and-roll. While Murray's defense leaves much to be desired at times, his potential is through the roof with plenty of time to improve in that department.
This will make Jamal Murray the highest paid Canadian athlete ever ($170M/5 years), topping the $148M/5-year deal that Andrew Wiggins signed in 2017. https://t.co/cXCMQQCEbg
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) July 1, 2019
In just his third season in the Association, Murray averaged over 18 points-per-game as he ascended to borderline All-Star status. Expect nothing less moving forward.