Questions linger around the Denver Nuggets after their shocking early playoff exit at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday.
The Nuggets had a bit of an advantage in Game 6, with the Timberwolves missing key players Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo and Ayo Dosunmu. Jaden McDaniels kept his word and sent the Nuggets packing after dropping a career-high 32 points.
According to Jason Quick and Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Nuggets could explore the possibility of trading Jamal Murray, who had a rough series against Minnesota. He averaged 23.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.7 assists, but he shot just 35.7% from the field.
Trade Idea Sends Jamal Murray to the Toronto Raptors
GettyJamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets tries to get past Immanuel Quickley #5 of the Toronto Raptors during the first half in a preseason NBA game at Rogers Arena on October 6, 2025 in Vancouver, Canada.
While the Nikola Jokic-Jamal Murray duo is one of the best in the NBA, the Nuggets could be strapped for cap space due to several huge contracts on their payroll.
Murray is set to earn a total of $161 million in the next three season. He is coming off his first All-Star campaign, but he wasn’t himself in the playoffs.
Tom Haberstroh of Yahoo! Sports opined that it’s time for the Nuggets to trade Murray, and one of his ideas was to send him back home to Canada with the Toronto Raptors.
Nuggets receive: Collin Murray-Boyles, RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl
Raptors receive: Jamal Murray and Zeke Nnaji
“This is a bet on CMB being the next Draymond Green, a defensive mastermind who could flourish next to Jokic’s other-wordly playmaking abilities,” Haberstroh explained. “Trading for a 20-year-old next to Jokić would be a timeline risk, but the blossoming South Carolina product could instantly step in as Denver’s best defensive player and provide much-needed athleticism.”
Haberstroh added that RJ Barrett will serve as a secondary option on offense, while Jakob Poeltl becomes the best backup center in the NBA.
As for the Raptors, they get an upgrade in Murray, who joins forces with Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes. They also have Immanuel Quickley, who was linked to a potential trade last February.
Jamal Murray Takes Blame for Game 6 Loss
GettyJamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets reacts while playing the Orlando Magic in the first quarter at Ball Arena on December 18, 2025 in Denver, Colorado.
The Nuggets kept things close in Game 6 until their offense stalled midway through the fourth quarter. Jokic posted a near triple-double, while Murray finished with just 12 points on 17 shots in Denver’s 110-98 loss.
Murray took the blame for his team’s rough loss in Game 6 and subsequent exit from the 2026 NBA playoffs.
“This is on me,” Murray said, via Troy Renck of The Longmont Daily Times-Call. “You guys have seen me make shots. … I was able to get to my spots and I wasn’t able to convert. That’s the frustrating part. They are playing good defense. All these guys are playing physical, chasing me around. And when I get the looks I need, they don’t go down.”
Despite his awful series against the Timberwolves, Murray posted career-best numbers of 25.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists in the regular season.
Jamal Murray Trade Idea Sends Denver Nuggets All-Star to Toronto Raptors