Nuggets backing up the Brinks truck to keep their stars together for years to come

Much has been made about the Nuggets and their lack of flexibility with the roster and the limitations on what they can spend, We’ve already seen the team salary dump Reggie Jackson, paying three second-round picks just to get off his $5.25 million contract for next season. 

And now it sounds like the team is on the verge of losing a massive contributor in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope because the Nuggets don’t want to get into a bidding war. Losing key players due to strategic roster building and valuations is one thing, and sure, the new second apron is awfully punitive. 

But still, it’s hard to watch what’s happening and not feel like part of it is simply ownership being cheap and refusing to pay so much luxury taxes to keep the team together. We’ll see what moves are still to come but I have a hard time believing the cost of having a draft pick frozen in 2032 outweighs the benefit of bringing back Caldwell-Pope.

Nuggets set to offer max extension to Jamal Murray

However, amidst all the negativity surrounding the team following the draft, there was some good news to come out on Thursday as Shams Charania of the Athletic reported that the Nuggets and Jamal Murray are working towards a four-year, $209 million max contract extension for the star Canadian guard and that an agreement is expected.

This was to be expected as Murray is extension-eligible this offseason with just one year remaining on his current deal, but it’s still good to hear. It’s a pleasant reminder that while the Nuggets are pinching pennies all over the roster, the reason is to keep the true core of the team together - and that’s Murray and Nikola Jokic.

Murray and Jokic locked up for most of decade

Jokic will be entering the second year of his five-year max extension next season which will keep him in Denver until the 2027-28 season (that year is a player option). And now it appears Murray will be locked down through the 2028-29 season. When those deals expire, Jokic will be 33 and Murray will be 32. 

At that point, the team can reassess the landscape and see if it’s worth it to give each star one more big contract for the tail end of their prime years. But that’s a ways down the road and a worry for another day. For now, it’s good to know that the two best players on the Nuggets, and the two biggest reasons the team raised a championship banner will be staying in Denver for at least several more years.