If Nuggets Trade Jamal Murray, Celtics Have an Intriguing Package

The Denver Nuggets are bound to explore all of their options as it relates to shaking up their roster over the course of this coming offseason, which is shaping up to be a rather unpredictable one.

One of those options, as bold as it might be, could include a trade surrounding Jamal Murray.

That probably won’t be the most likely outcome on the table following the best regular season of his career. But it could be a unique opportunity for the Nuggets to sell high on his value and retool their roster in a big way compared to how last year's team looked.

So let's say for argument's sake that Murray was being shopped. Who on the market could offer an intriguing package the Nuggets' All-Star guard?

The Boston Celtics, among what could be a deep group of suitors who'd be interested in his services, would certainly have a package to offer that Denver would have to think long and hard about pulling the trigger for.

What a Jamal Murray-Celtics Trade Could Look Like

The Nuggets, if they were to trade Murray–– one of their best guards in franchise history–– wouldn 't be willing to trade him for cents on the dollar. They'd be in the market for impactful rotational players, and perhaps some draft capital sweeteners added on.

The Celtics, fortunately, have both at their disposal. And if they were interested in taking the increasingly rare route of paying three stars big money at the top of their roster, they could cash in on those assets by acquiring Murray from Denver, and still make the investment worth their while.

Here's what their package could shape up to be:

From the Celtics' perspective, they get another All-NBA talent to add next to their current core of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. He brings another layer of shot-making, ball-handling, and another layer of versatility in the backcourt. It's easy to see why they might be interested in bringing him in.

For the Nuggets, though, they check a few different boxes in a deal like this.

They drop their cap number by a little over $5 million by ridding of Murray's $50 million annually, add multiple rotational pieces that can fit like a glove in their offensive system around Jokic, add another dose of perimeter defense with Derrick White, and replenish their depleted draft capital by adding another first in this year's draft, and a potentially valuable, unprotected selection in 2030.

Does Denver get a little bit worse at the top of their roster? Sure. They're not getting an All-NBA player back in return. They'd likely love to get a talent like Jaylen Brown on their hands for someone like Murray to add a bit more defensive upside and another co-star for Jokic. But it won't be easy for Denver to pry him away in a deal like this.

Mar 2, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) dribbles down the court defended by Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

In reality, it might even be more likely for Brown to be shipped off in a separate deal so Boston doesn't have to pay their top three players a combined $160 million. The modern NBA has increasingly shown that such a formula isn't as effective as it once was.

Still, that wouldn't totally take them out of play for acquiring Murray.

If Boston truly were interested in bolstering their guard rotation with another All-Star, All-NBA talent, there might not be another name on the market that jumps out like Murray does. And if the Nuggets wanted to hit the "let's really shake things up" button, this would certainly do just that.

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