One week before the 2025 NBA Playoffs, the Denver Nuggets blindsided the league by parting ways with long-time head coach Michael Malone. It was a move that sent shockwaves through a locker room already facing questions about its future due to roster depletion, and it may have only been the beginning.
Rumors had swirled around the trade deadline that both Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. were quietly being made available—an unthinkable scenario just one year ago. But as Nikola Jokic wraps up another historic season, averaging a triple-double (29.6 PPG, 12.7 RPG, 10.2 APG) and firmly in the hunt for his fourth MVP in five years, the pressure to maximize this window is real.
Murray had a solid season by most standards—putting up 21.4 points, 6.0 assists, and 3.9 rebounds on 47.4% shooting and 39.3% from three—but his continued struggles with availability and stretches of inconsistency have led Denver to ask some hard questions. Is he the long-term answer next to Jokic?
In this blockbuster trade idea, we explore a scenario where Denver retools by dealing Murray to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for the electrifying Trae Young and promising guard Kobe Bufkin, potentially reshaping the Nuggets’ identity while keeping their championship window open.
Proposed Trade Details
Denver Nuggets Receive: Trae Young, Kobe Bufkin
Atlanta Hawks Receive: Jamal Murray
Denver Nuggets Bring Fresh Players At The Guard Spots
The Nuggets don’t need to rebuild, but they do need a jolt. Trae Young offers that in a big way. He averaged 24.2 points and 11.6 assists per game in 2024–25, continuing to be one of the league’s most dangerous offensive engines as an All-Star snub. Pairing his shot creation and playmaking with Jokic’s unselfish brilliance opens up a terrifying new offensive ceiling.
Adding Kobe Bufkin as part of the deal sweetens the pot. The second-year guard has done well in Atlanta, averaging 5.3 points, 1.7 assists, and showing poise and defensive toughness far beyond his age. He gives Denver a controllable, high-upside piece to grow into a key rotation role or even more down the line.
Trading Murray isn’t an easy move, but it might be the necessary one. His 2024–25 season (21.4 PPG, 6.0 APG, 47.4% FG) has been solid, but recurring injuries and long stretches of up-and-down play left the Nuggets needing more stability in crunch time. With Jokic still at his apex and carrying a heavy load, the Nuggets need raw firepower—and Young brings just that, even if it comes with a new defensive balancing act.
Atlanta Hawks Acquire Clutch Player For New Era
The Hawks have been looking for a culture reset, and Jamal Murray fits the bill. While Young is box office, Murray brings playoff-tested toughness and a quieter, steadier presence that Atlanta’s young roster could thrive under. Let’s not forget his 2023 Finals heroics or the fact that he’s still putting up 21.4 points and 6.0 assists this year—he knows how to show up when it counts.
Murray isn’t a volume shooter like Trae, but he’s more efficient and versatile off the ball, which opens things up for youngsters like Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels. The Hawks have been stuck in offensive redundancy with Young dominating the ball. Murray’s more adaptable skill set could make this team harder to guard and better suited for team-first basketball.
Most importantly, this move would signal a cultural shift. Murray’s grit, playoff experience, and low-maintenance approach could help steer the Hawks into a new era, where development and winning go hand in hand. Reshaping the guard rotation around Jamal might be the first step toward a better, more cohesive future.
A Blockbuster Deal That Makes Sense For Both Sides
There are risks here—Young’s defensive issues and Murray’s injury history loom large—but this trade is all about maximizing windows. Denver still has Jokic in MVP form and needs a jolt to keep pace in the West. Atlanta, meanwhile, needs a new tone-setter and a guard who doesn’t monopolize the ball. Both teams would be betting on fit and balance over raw flash.
For Denver, this isn’t about panicking—it’s about staying proactive. The Western Conference is brutal, and as good as Murray has been in moments, Jokic’s generational prime demands more consistency around him. Young is a gamble, but one that might unlock the kind of offensive dynamism that scares teams deep into the playoffs.
Atlanta, on the flip side, could finally move away from the Trae-centric era that never truly materialized into sustained postseason success. Swapping out flash for clutch, and ball-dominance for balance, might give them the structure and identity they’ve sorely lacked. In the end, it’s a rare deal that challenges both teams, but could elevate them at just the right time.
