It is not clear how desperate the Denver Nuggets will get this offseason, but one thing looks certain: Nikola Jokic remains the only player on the roster the team would consider truly untouchable. That leaves Jamal Murray, the All-Star guard, as one of the few names that could even enter a serious trade discussion.
A possible partner has already been floated. The Dallas Mavericks could be the team tied to a deal that would send Murray out and bring Kyrie Irving back to Denver, with extra assets potentially coming the Nuggets' way. It is the kind of swap that only makes sense if the Nuggets decide they need a major shake-up around their three-time MVP.
On paper, the appeal is easy to see. Irving is a nine-time All-Star who, when healthy, can score at a high level and fit alongside Jokic without needing the offense to run through him every possession. In the 2024-25 season, Irving averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 47.3% from the field, 40.1% from three-point range and 91.6% from the free-throw line. The fit, at least offensively, is obvious.
The problem is everything around that fit. Irving is 34 years old, has not played more than 60 games in a season since 2018-19 and did not play at all in the 2025-26 season because of a torn ACL. That history is the biggest reason a Murray-for-Irving framework remains just a concept rather than a deal Denver is expected to rush into.
Jokic changes the calculus for almost any roster decision the Nuggets make. With a championship window built around the league's best players, Denver has reason to be bold if it believes its current core has reached its ceiling. But moving Murray would still be a major step, and the franchise would have to decide whether Irving's upside, plus any added assets from Dallas, outweighs the loss of a younger All-Star guard who has long been part of the team's core identity.
That is where the offseason question turns from theory to risk. Denver can chase more firepower and hope Irving stays available, or it can keep Murray and trust that continuity around Jokic still gives it a better path forward. The trade idea is attractive because it could produce a cleaner fit now, but Irving's injury record makes it the kind of gamble that could reshape the Nuggets for better or worse.
