Jamal Murray Sends Blunt Message to Nuggets Locker Room As Major Shake Up Looms After Round 2 Exit

“We’ve just got to keep a good mindset. It’s not like we’re playing a bad brand of basketball. It’s not like we’re playing selfish. It comes down to getting a couple stops to win the game,” said Jamal Murray after OKC’s Game 5 in the recent playoff series. The star player was confident about his team’s chances, thanks to which allowed the Denver Nuggets were able to extend the series to Game 7. Unfortunately, that same ‘mindset’ seemed to have taken a hit, as Jamal Murray and co lost the recent matchup by a 125-93 score, aka a 32-point margin. However, the 28-year-old insists that the end of their season does not mean the end of all hope for the Nuggets.

During the post-game presser, Jamal Murray was asked about his confidence level in believing whether the current core group can still win another championship title. After all, the team is now 2 years removed from the last time they lifted the Larry O’Brien trophy. With an optimistic look on his face, the player replied, “100%. We just came up short tonight. Get back in the gym and get back to it for next year”.

Murray is confident the Nuggets can continue to win, but at the same time, the work will have to be put in. Nothing will be handed to the team, just like it won’t be handed to any of its 29 other NBA rivals.

 

Jamal Murray believes the Nuggets can win another Championship:

“100%. We just came up short tonight. Get back in the gym and get back to it for next year”

h/t @ohnohedidnt24

pic.twitter.com/wthMI6NO6P

— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) May 18, 2025

Game 7 of the Nuggets-OKC series might go down in history as a series of inefficiency from the former franchise. Jamal Murray, from his side, recorded his lowest score of the series. He made 13 points, to go along with his 1 rebound, 2  assists, and 3 steals, by shooting 6-16 (37.5%) field goals, and 1-8 (12.5%) 3-pointers.

However, even his condition wasn’t as bad as that of his star teammates. Despite making 20 points, Nikola Jokic had a plus/minus rating of -23, while Russell Westbrook, who scored only 6 points through 28.6% field goals and 40.0% 3-pointers, had a plus/minus rating of -34. It would have come off as astonishing that, for a matchup like Game 7, the Nuggets were not able to put out a better fight.

Despite their recent lapse, it is important to remember that this was the same squad that secured a 50-32 win record in the 2024-25 regular season. That squad that Jamal Murray still holds hope for. The one he hopes will train and prepare better for the next season. Unfortunately, the last 2 seasons might have informed the front office that they cannot continue only with the current roster. Therefore, some major changes are expected to take place in the off-season, with one trade move generating some significant chatter.

Will Kevin Durant join Jamal Murray and co?

As reported by ‘The Athletic’s’ Sam Amick, the Phoenix Suns are primed to make a change. After all, what other direction can be taken by the team that boasts one of the best veterans in the modern NBA, yet still ended up as the 11th seed on the Western Conference chart because of a 36-46 win record?

Star players would generally be excluded from trade discussions. However, Kevin Durant was placed at the center of this particular one. In fact, Amick famously said that “Unless the Nuggets come calling for Kevin Durant, I’m not seeing exactly where the Kevin Durant landing spot is gonna be at this point, and Bradley Beal and his wife really like living in Phoenix, so I don’t think that’s changing.”

According to Hoops Habit, a potential trade deal for Durant could include Michael Porter Jr., Zeke Naji, Dario Saric, and a 2031 unprotected first-round pick. Kevin Durant is 35+ years of age. Despite that, he still averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in the 2024-25 regular season. A scorer like him hasn’t been present in the Jokic era of the Nuggets.

With both the Serbian and the veteran averaging at least 25 points per game, the Nuggets’ offense would see a major jump, and would take the scoring reliance away from Jokic. Furthermore, the Nuggets were ranked 21st in three-point attempts and 25th in three-point percentage. Durant’s presence can certainly improve that standing.

Dec 1, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) against Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) in the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

“They’ve looked at [KD] in the past” Sam Amick said in a recent episode of ‘The Ringer NBA Show’. “Like, seriously looked at it…Michael Porter Jr., of course, would be the guy going out in any of those deals. Contractually, he’s the only one who makes sense. And in terms of value, he had a very good year.”

Do you believe that trading Kevin Durant for Michael Porter Jr., and/or other picks could benefit the Denver Nuggets in the long run? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below.

The post Jamal Murray Sends Blunt Message to Nuggets Locker Room As Major Shake Up Looms After Round 2 Exit appeared first on EssentiallySports.