Jamal Murray: Nuggets Contract Extension 'Not on My Mind' amid NBA Rumors, Olympics

Jamal Murray doesn't seem worried about the status of his contract extension talks with the Denver Nuggets.

"When we get there, we get there. I am playing games for Canada, so it's not on my mind," Murray told reporters after Canada's exhibition loss to the United States on Wednesday.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium previously reported that Murray and the Nuggets were expected to reach a four-year, $209 million contract extension. However, no deal has been announced in the weeks since that report. Bennett Durando of the Denver Post reported the talks have been broken off until the conclusion of the Olympics.

The lack of contract would indicate some snag, or perhaps a desire from Denver to ensure Murray doesn't get hurt while playing for Canada. If this were a straightforward negotiation, Murray would have already inked his extension before international play began. It behooves only the team in this instance to wait things out.

The Nuggets have been noticeably cautious with their spending the last two offseasons, allowing key contributors Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to exit in financially driven decisions. Nikola Jokić, Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon eat up more than the salary cap alone in their contracts, making Denver a little top-heavy coming into the 2024-25 season.

Murray's extension would pay him upwards of $50 million per season. Combine that with Jokić's deal, which is already above the $50 million mark, and the avenues for improvement will stay limited for a long time in Denver.

Still, the Nuggets have little reason to allow Murray to walk as they try to compete for championships in the immediate future.