Last week, the Nuggets ended speculation about Jamal Murray’s future by signing the guard to a four-year, $208 million contract extension. His new deal is the biggest ever for a player with no All-Star nods and no All-NBA team selections. Despite his lack of individual accolades, the franchise deems him invaluable. However, Kendrick Perkins believes that the 27-year-old has to justify his contract in the upcoming season.
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On ESPN’s NBA Today, the analyst challenged Murray to play at an All-Star level throughout the season and alleviate pressure off three-time and reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. Perkins said,
“I’m looking at [Jamal Murray] and I’m saying, what can you bring to the table without [Nikola Jokic] being on the floor? I’m not saying he’s not going to play with Jokic because obviously Jokic is reliable. But when it comes down to Jamal Murray, I think this year he has to take that leap.”
Murray is coming off his best individual season. He averaged 21.2 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.1 rebounds on 48.1 percent shooting from the field, all career highs. However, he played only 59 games, meaning he was ineligible to be in contention for any individual awards.
The guard has historically played well when sharing the court with Jokic. However, there’s a steep drop in his production when he has to carry the Nuggets.
In the last eight years, he has played only 24 games without the center and boasts an average of only 16.3 points, four assists, and 3.6 rebounds in those outings. While the same sample is small, it does show that he cannot carry the team on his back.
The Nuggets’ decision to hand Murray a $52 million-a-year deal played a role in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s exit, who left the team and joined the Magic on a two-year, $60 million contract. The veteran guard was vital in their run to the title in 2023.
The franchise would’ve wanted him to re-sign with them, but Murray’s hefty deal meant they did not have the financial muscle to compete with Orlando’s offer. Perkins believes the onus is on the Canadian guard to negate the effect of losing Caldwell-Pope. He said,
“When it comes down to having pressure, especially with Denver losing KCP. [Murray] is top three on my list far as guys under the most pressure to deliver. We know Jokic has been consistently great, the best player in the league the last three years. We can’t say the same about Jamal Murray.”
The new contract was a silver lining for Murray after a difficult time on the court. He averaged only 18.4 points on 40.3% shooting from the floor in the Nuggets’ season-ending playoff series loss to the Timberwolves. At the Paris Olympics, he scored only 5.7 points per game on 10% shooting from beyond the arc.
The guard will look to put his recent failures in the rearview mirror and focus on having the best year of his career and repay Denver’s faith in his abilities.
