Trade Jamal Murray? 3 deals for the Nuggets to get help for Nikola Jokić

The good news: Nikola Jokić finally got to play with an All-Star. Jamal Murray was brilliant in the regular season and, at long last, we witnessed the first Jokić teammate to be named to either All-Star, All-NBA or All-Defense in the Serbian’s 11-year career. So here is the bad news: It’s time to trade Murray.

Because at this point, I don’t see another way out of this mess for Jokić. After winning the title in 2023, the Nuggets have fallen out of contention with a fading and increasingly expensive roster that is set to go deep into the tax. After Thursday’s disappointing first-round exit to the Timberwolves, Jokić told reporters, “I still want to be a Nugget forever.

” He conceded that the Nuggets were “ far away ” from contention and, when asked about whether changes needed to be made, he said, "That's not my decision, to be honest. Definitely, if we were in Serbia, we would all get fired. " Now, Denver might have no choice but to deal Jokić’s co-pilot, Murray, while it still can get something of value in return.

Is it time for the Nuggets to split up their dynamic duo? (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) AAron Ontiveroz via Getty Images How we got here A year ago, I argued that Jokić had every right to ask for a trade out of Denver because of the continued lack of star support around him. He didn’t ask out, and he still probably won’t.