Nuggets under pressure, need star guard to prove he was worth risky max extension

The Denver Nuggets signed Jamal Murray to a four-year, $207.8 million deal earlier this summer. The first year of his new contract will kick in at the start of the 2025-26 NBA season. By committing such a considerable salary to their star point guard, the Nuggets have hamstrung themselves in terms of financial flexibility when looking to round out the roster.

Denver's decision to extend Murray has also raised some eyebrows due to his worrisome injury history. The veteran guard suffered an ACL injury in April 2021, forcing him to miss the remainder of the season and the entire 2021-22 campaign. Last season, he dealt with calf and elbow injuries, once again limiting his playing time and damaging his effectiveness. 

"His numbers in the playoffs were OK," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said during a recent appearance on "NBA Today." "But, looking at his career numbers, they were down. It was actually his worst playoff performance. I know he had injuries to his calf and his elbow; I'm not disregarding that, but his numbers were down. And then, he flat-out looked really off this summer in the Olympics for Team Canada; he shot 29% over in France...He comes back and gets a $200 million extension with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope over in Orlando."