After a first-round exit in this year’s NBA playoffs, the Denver Nuggets will find themselves in a tough spot with their roster. While it goes without saying that the core of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon has brought championship success to the Nuggets, given the current salary cap situation, Denver may be forced to make some tough decisions.
As things stand, it seems widely likely that Nikola Jokic will remain in Denver for the foreseeable future, which is reassuring since he becomes eligible for a four-year, $278 million extension. However, the Nuggets’ commitment to Jokic may force them to clear up cap space by parting with Aaron Gordon and/or Jamal Murray in trades this summer.
There have been some trade scenarios involving Murray that have already been floated. Still, there is one option that could benefit the Nuggets, while also ensuring that Murray remains in a competitive environment.
Proposed Trade Details
Orlando Magic Receive: Jamal Murray, Dalton Knecht, Jake LaRavia
Denver Nuggets Receive: Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac, 2029 first-round pick (ORL, MEM swap), 2031 first-round pick (ORL), 2032 second-round pick (LAL)
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Wendell Carter Jr.
The Financial Outlook
Financially, this scenario is designed to help the Nuggets shed some salary. For Jamal Murray’s $50.1 million outgoing contract, the Nuggets absorb an incoming cap hit of $46.9 million from Jalen Suggs‘ ($32.4 million) and Jonathan Isaac’s ($14.5) contracts.
Meanwhile, the Lakers take on Wendell Carter Jr.‘s $18.1 million cap hit, which may be excessive considering that Jake LaRavia ($6.0 million) and Dalton Knecht ($4.1 million) combine for $10.1 million. However, given that they will have ample cap space going into the offseason, they should be able to make this deal.
Although Orlando is taking on more contracts on paper, the cumulative incoming value of $60.2 million actually sees them clear $4.8 million in salary ($65 million outgoing). Hence, from a fiscal perspective, this trade seems reasonable for all parties involved.
How Does Each Team Benefit From This Trade?
Aside from clearing salaries, this trade proposal helps the Nuggets acquire three draft picks to replenish their reserves and two reliable rotation pieces to bolster their roster.
The acquisition of Jalen Suggs and Jonathan Isaac could prove quite worthwhile for a team like the Nuggets. Although Suggs isn’t capable of recreating Jamal Murray’s impact on the scoring end, the Magic guard has asserted himself as an elite on-ball defender.
The 2023-24 All-Defensive team member has also proven himself to be a capable playmaker. With averages of 13.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game on 43.5% shooting from the field, Suggs could bolster Denver’s perimeter defense while also serving as a reliable secondary playmaking option.
Like Suggs, Isaac also presents defensive upside, albeit in the frontcourt. With Jonas Valanciunas‘ underwhelming performance this season, the Nuggets would benefit from revitalizing their big man rotation. By acquiring Isaac, the Nuggets would provide Jokic with adequate support, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Last season, Isaac only averaged 10.0 minutes per game, resulting in reduced averages of 2.6 points and 2.5 rebounds. However, with 0.4 steals and 0.6 blocks recorded during that brief period, there is reason to believe he could be more impactful if given more playing time.
For the Lakers, acquiring a player like Wendell Carter Jr. may be ideal. Given the team’s need for a reliable starting center, adding a seasoned veteran like Carter Jr., especially alongside Luka Doncic, could be immensely promising.
In the 2025-26 season, Wendell Carter Jr. averaged 11.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 0.8 steals per game while shooting 51.2% from the field. His numbers may not look impressive at first glance, but this could be attributed to the Magic’s system, which catered to Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Desmond Bane.
Paired next to Doncic and Austin Reaves, Carter Jr. may find himself in a position to receive more service. With the Lakers looking to bolster their roster, such an addition could help them remain competitive.
This trade scenario may have mixed results for the Orlando Magic. While the arrival of Dalton Knecht (4.2 PPG, 1.4 RPG) and Jake LaRavia (8.2 PPG, 4.0 RPG) may not garner much intrigue, Jamal Murray’s acquisition could be met with some excitement.
Murray has proven himself as one of the most exciting players in the NBA when he gets going. Having developed a penchant for late-clock heroics, the Nuggets guard has routinely played his best in big moments. Such a trait could be quite vital for the Magic, who have failed to make it out of the first round of the NBA playoffs three years straight.
While there is some speculation that Jamal Murray’s role could clash with Desmond Bane’s, the former’s averages of 25.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game on 48.3% shooting from the field and 43.5% shooting from three-point range may indicate he deserves to be the primary option. When also factoring in his championship experience, it would be difficult to deny him such a role.
Should The Nuggets Trade Jamal Murray?
As mentioned above, the Denver Nuggets do stand to gain something from trading Jamal Murray, especially if it entails acquiring two-way reinforcements across multiple positions. However, in reality, parting with Murray is one of the few things the Nuggets probably shouldn’t do.
Jamal Murray has asserted himself as a vital cog in Denver’s lineup. Aside from his clutch shot-making ability, Murray contributes significantly as a secondary playmaker and a scoring threat, often taking some of the scoring burden off Jokic.
At this stage, parting with Murray would effectively place more strain on Jokic offensively. While the Serbian superstar is more than capable of picking up the slack, given his averages of 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.7 assists per game, such a formula may not be sustainable for success in the postseason.
While there is certainly a need to offload Jamal Murray’s $50.1 million cap hit, especially in light of Christian Braun‘s extension and the pending contract negotiations with Peyton Watson, Denver would be urged to find a way around it. Although this may inevitably involve trading Aaron Gordon and clearing more salary, retaining the duo of Murray and Jokic may prove worthwhile.
