Former Wildcat Jamal Murray expected to sign four-year $209 million dollar extension with Denver

Cole Parke, Sports Editor

June 27, 2024

Guard Jamal Murray of the Kentucky Wildcats roars after an and-one play during the game against the LSU Tigers at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky. on Saturday, March 5, 2016. UK defeated LSU 94-77 to finish the season 23-8. Photo by Michael Reaves | Staff.

Former Kentucky Wildcat Jamal Murray is expected to sign a four-year $209 million dollar extension with the Denver Nuggets per Shams Charania, a lead NBA insider for The Athletic and Stadium.

Murray, who was selected No. 7 overall in the 2016 NBA Draft, has spent his entire professional career in Denver since playing one season at Kentucky, being another in a long line of “one-and-dones” for former UK head coach John Calipari.

Jamal Murray’s game-winning jump shot. Image sourced from Instagram @nuggets

A native of Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, the former five-star prospect and MVP of the All-Canadian Basketball Game committed to Calipari and Kentucky for the 2015-16 season just one year after the seemingly invincible Cats finished 38-1 with an NCAA Tournament heartbreak versus Wisconsin in the Final Four.

Murray helped lead Kentucky to a 27-9 record, finishing as Co-SEC Regular Season Champions and SEC Tournament Champions before earning a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament and being upset in the second round versus No. 5 Indiana.

Being named to the SEC All-Freshman Team and First Team All SEC — also being named an AP Third Team All-American — it was little surprise when Murray declared for the NBA Draft and was selected within the top 10.

The move paid off for Denver, too, with Murray making the NBA All-Rookie Second Team and eventually helping assist multiple time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic to propel Denver to its first ever NBA Championship in 2023. In that championship season Murray averaged 20 points per game and shot 45% from the field.

This past season in Denver, Murray finished with 21.2 points per game and shot 48.1% from the field and 42.5% from beyond the arch on a Nuggets team that hoped to go back-to-back before coming up short against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA Playoffs.

Beyond just his team career, Murray also boasts international experience, representing Canada in both the 2013 FIBA Americas U16 Championship (Bronze) and 2015 Pan American Games (Silver).

With his career accolades, the Nuggets decided it pivotal to re-sign Murray after his previous contract, a five-year $170 million dollar extension signed in 2019, was coming to a close.

The news is sure to bring jubilation in Denver, especially after reports that fellow Nugget Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will be declining his player option and entering free agency.