With the Denver Nuggets likely exploring their options this summer, aside from trading Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray's name keeps popping up as the Nuggets' biggest trade chip. Of course it does, he just had an All-NBA season for the first time in his career, and he's also the Nuggets' second-highest-paid player. But he isn't playoff Murray anymore, and his defense has been bad. Swapping Murray for Derrick White in the backcourt would instantly change the dynamics for the Nuggets.
It's a trade that works very well on paper, and the Nuggets would save $8.9 million in salary next year, freeing them up for other moves that could further alter the team's identity. Who knows if the Boston Celtics would do a deal like this? But after a first-round exit of their own, they could be in for a shake-up too.
Nuggets receive: Derrick White, Sam Hauser
Celtics receive: Jamal Murray
The trade value for Murray has never been higher, and if the Nuggets are going to capitalize on it, they need to bring in a defensive-oriented player first and foremost. White fits the bill and would give the Nuggets an instant boost to their backcourt defense.
The Nuggets should say yes if this trade came around
This is a no-brainer to me. The Nuggets' backcourt defense was atrocious against the Timberwolves, and it's not like Murray is going to blossom into a chaos defender overnight. White is just that. On top of being a great on-the-ball defender, White can also get into the passing lanes and create pressure to get steals, which he did at the highest rate of his career last year at 1.1 steals per game.
White's also an excellent shot-blocker for his 6-foot-4 size, and he finished 15th in the NBA in 2025-26 with 1.3 blocks. This was also the third year in the past four that White finished on the All-NBA Defensive First or Second Team.
Hauser isn't the best defender, but he can switch and rotate, and he usually doesn't get cooked on the way to the hoop like Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. did against seemingly any Wolves guard.
The cap savings help immensely for the Nuggets
Boston may not do a deal like this, but if they did, the cap savings would be huge for a Nuggets team that was in need of a role player or two. The offensive aspect of this trade isn't so severe, as it's made up for on defense, and White's serviceable enough.
They'd have extra cash to try and find a rim protector or another athletic 3-and-wing to shore up the holes that plagued them against the Timberwolves, and that could be all the Nuggets need for a title run.
The Nuggets would have a whole new identity with a defensive look with White, and it may be what they need to break through next season.
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