“I’m not worried about being tired,” Murray said. “I’ve been playing in Denver for eight years now, so I’m used to the altitude. I’m used to finding my second wind.”

There were highs – a 32-point performance and series-clinching shot against the Lakers in Game 5, and a 35-point game against Minnesota in Game 7 of the second round. But the Nuggets would’ve had an easier road back to the Western Conference Finals if not for Murray’s eight-point game on 18 shots in Game 2 and a 10-point outing on 18 shots in Game 6, an opportunity to end the series in Minnesota.

“We don’t beat the Lakers without Jamal, right? Two game winners, but you look at Jamal’s numbers last year in the playoffs compared to this year, the efficiency, the productivity was just on a completely different level, and that’s why we won it last year. 

You had Nikola, but you had Jamal playing out of this world,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “(We’re) just trying to find ways to get Jamal healthy and back to playing at that consistent level. The only way you can do that, for any player, is to be in the gym and working and having a routine and having a routine discipline with your body, with your game, with your craft.”

After averaging 26.1 points, 7.1 assists and 5.7 rebounds in the 2023 playoffs, Murray put up 20.6 points, 5.6 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game this postseason. Now, Murray said he’s using the earlier start to his offseason to prepare for the Summer Olympics. After that, Murray will head into next season on the final year of his contract. He’ll make just over $36 million next season, but he’ll be an unrestricted free agent a year from now if he doesn’t agree to a different contract extension.

“I feel like we should’ve won tonight. That’s the tough part,” Murray said after Game 7. “They beat us, but we had so many great opportunities, including myself. It’s just tough, man. I’m just excited for next year.”