Jamal Murray has achieved a great deal in his nine-year career with the Denver Nuggets.
An NBA champion and the 2023 ESPY Comeback Player of the Year, he continues to climb Denver’s all-time rankings in various stats, already holding the franchise record for 3-pointers. However, one achievement remains missing from his resume: an All-Star selection.
Surprisingly, a player who has scored over 40 points in six playoff games and 50 in two has never appeared in an All-Star Game. Since the 2020-21 season, Murray has averaged 21.6 points per game with a 3.3 offensive plus-minus. Now, in 2025-26, Murray reached a regular-season form that nobody knew he had, making this the season he should play instead of taking a break during All-Star Weekend.
Murray’s 2025-26 Upgrade
Murray and the Nuggets are showing a different level of professionalism this season. Denver was aggressive during the offseason, strengthening its bench, and Murray seemed to reflect the front office’s ambitions early in the year.
He set the tone with a 43-point surge just three games into the season and kept a higher level of efficiency through October and November. It was noticeable, as in the past he’s taken longer to reach such consistent high performance, like averaging just 16.3 points during October and November in the 2023-24 season.
Murray has averaged 4.7 assists per game in his career through 2024-25, but this year he has increased to 7.3, showcasing his ability to both score and facilitate. He set a career-high with 16 assists against the Brooklyn Nets on Jan. 4, then surpassed that with 17 against the Boston Celtics on Jan. 6.
He’s not only becoming the best version of himself, but also the best teammate.
Leading Through Injuries
While holding the third-best record in the Western Conference, Nikola Jokic, Cameron Johnson, Christian Braun, and Jonas Valanciunas have all missed time due to injuries. Denver lost Jokic, Johnson, and Valanciunas in a span of eight days, and they are out until the end of January. Gordon and Braun were injured in mid-November but have since returned, though not at full strength, leaving Murray to lead a team.
The Nuggets have stayed positive without Jokic, mainly because Murray has been averaging 28.8 points since then, with a 7-5 record during that time. This period has allowed Denver’s deeper role players to try new things, with Murray boosting a recent surge from Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones.
Since the three-time MVP went down, Murray has scored fewer than 22 points in only one game.
All-Star Competition Out West
The starters for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game were announced on Monday, Jan. 19, notably without LeBron James for the first time in 21 years. The sidelined Jokic made his eighth consecutive team appearance, surrounded by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, Victor Wembanyama, and Stephen Curry.
Murray wasn’t expected to start, but it will be announced on Feb. 1 whether he secured one of the seven reserve spots. The league’s head coaches vote on the reserves, as Murray will be competing alongside Anthony Edwards, Kevin Durant, Chet Holmgren, and others.
While he doesn’t have the pure scoring of Edwards, Durant, or even Kawhi Leonard, Murray is staying less one-dimensional and maintaining a positive EPM. More under-the-radar names like Alperen Sengun or Deni Avdija could steal the spotlight, with Sengun flirting with averaging a double-double.
After finding out if Murray makes his first All-Star Game, the festivities kick off on Friday, Feb. 13, with the celebrity game. Saturday will feature the 3-point and dunk contests, followed by the NBA’s first-ever USA vs. World game on Sunday. This new format will feature two teams, one from the United States and one from the rest of the world, competing in a round-robin tournament for the championship.
Jamal Murray has been playing at an elite level for quite some time. The moment has arrived for him to earn his first All-Star nod.
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