Kendrick Perkins believes the Denver Nuggets need to consider breaking up the Nikola Jokic–Jamal Murray partnership if they want to maximize the remainder of Jokic’s prime and return to championship contention.
“The Denver Nuggets can’t continue to afford to waste Jokic’s greatness. At some point, they have to do what’s right by him. They have to hit the market,” Perkins said. “I strongly believe that the Jokic Jamal Murray duo has run its course when it comes to trying to win a championship with those two guys leading the charge.”
Perkins’ comments put the spotlight on Denver’s long-term direction after another offseason in which the franchise made changes to its supporting cast but kept its two-time MVP and starting point guard together.
The numbers from the 2025-26 regular season show that both players continued to produce at a high level. Jokic averaged 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists in 65 games, shooting 56.9% from the field and 38.0% from three-point range.
Murray played 75 games and averaged a career-best 25.4 points, along with 7.1 assists and 4.4 rebounds. He shot 48.3% overall and 43.5% from beyond the arc, making 3.3 three-pointers per game.
The duo has already delivered a title. Jokic and Murray led Denver to its first NBA championship in 2023, establishing themselves as one of the league’s most effective partnerships through their two-man game and complementary offensive skills.
However, maintaining that level of contention requires a strong supporting cast, and Denver has faced financial and roster-building constraints in its efforts to strengthen the team around them.
[td_flex_block_1 category_id="" custom_title="MORE FOR YOU" header_color="#e91e63" td_filter_default_txt="" tag_slug="" sort="random_7_day" tdc_css="eyJhbGwiOnsibWFyZ2luLXJpZ2h0IjoiMjUiLCJtYXJnaW4tYm90dG9tIjoiMjUiLCJtYXJnaW4tbGVmdCI6IjI1IiwicGFkZGluZy10b3AiOiIxMSIsInBhZGRpbmctcmlnaHQiOiIyNSIsInBhZGRpbmctYm90dG9tIjoiMTEiLCJwYWRkaW5nLWxlZnQiOiIyNSIsImJhY2tncm91bmQtY29sb3IiOiIjZjNmNGY2IiwiZGlzcGxheSI6IiIsIi0tdGRiLXNjcm9sbC1hbmltIjoibm9uZSJ9LCJwaG9uZSI6eyJtYXJnaW4tcmlnaHQiOiIwIiwibWFyZ2luLWxlZnQiOiIwIiwicGFkZGluZy1yaWdodCI6IjE1IiwicGFkZGluZy1sZWZ0IjoiMTUiLCJkaXNwbGF5IjoiIn0sInBob25lX21heF93aWR0aCI6NzY3fQ==" mx3f_title_font_transform="" mx3f_title_font_weight="700" title_tag="h3" all_modules_space="0" video_popup="" image_size="td_218x150" image_height="65" image_floated="eyJwaG9uZSI6ImZsb2F0X2xlZnQifQ==" autoplay_vid="" show_vid_t="none" modules_category="image" modules_category_margin="eyJhbGwiOiI1cHgiLCJwaG9uZSI6IjVweCJ9" modules_extra_cat="hide" show_author="none" show_date="none" show_com="none" show_review="none" show_excerpt="none" show_audio="none" show_btn="none" f_title_font_size="15" f_title_font_line_height="1.25" f_title_font_weight="600" f_title_font_spacing="-0.2" cat_bg="#e16e00" modules_divider="solid" category_ids="-4430,-5489,-11" show_cat="" modules_on_row="eyJhbGwiOiIzMy4zMzMzMzMzMyUiLCJwaG9uZSI6IjEwMCUifQ==" limit="3" meta_info_align="" modules_divider_color="#333333" image_width="eyJhbGwiOiIxMDAiLCJwaG9uZSI6IjQwIn0=" meta_info_border_color="" modules_border_color="" modules_gap="15" m_padding="eyJwaG9uZSI6IjE1cHggMHB4IDE1cHggMHB4In0=" art_title="eyJwaG9uZSI6IjBweCAwcHggMHB4IDE1cHgifQ==" video_icon="eyJwaG9uZSI6IjIwIn0=" f_cat_font_size="eyJwaG9uZSI6IjgifQ=="]Denver’s 2026 offseason reflected those limitations. The Nuggets traded Peyton Watson to Cleveland in a five-team sign-and-trade, receiving a 2031 first-round pick from the Cavaliers and a 2032 second-round pick from Sacramento.
Watson signed a four-year, $88 million contract with Cleveland. His departure cost Denver a young wing while adding future draft capital, underscoring the financial challenges facing the franchise.
The Nuggets added veteran scoring by signing DeMar DeRozan to a one-year minimum contract. They also brought in Marvin Bagley III and Alpha Diallo on minimum deals and retained Tyus Jones, while Spencer Jones signed a two-year, $11.75 million contract.
Those moves offer additional options around Jokić and Murray, but Denver remains above the second salary-cap apron, restricting its flexibility to make further additions.
