Jamal Murray Trade Rumors: Nuggets Won't Include Star in James Harden Deal

The Denver Nuggets are reportedly among the teams discussing a potential James Harden trade with the Houston Rockets, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. 

Despite the apparent interest, the Nuggets reportedly would not trade point guard Jamal Murray and view him as a "franchise cornerstone," per Mike Singer of the Denver Post.

The Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers are also involved in the Harden sweepstakes, while the Miami Heat have reportedly ended talks.

Harden has made it clear he wants to be traded to a contender, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported there are "several" playoff-level teams interested in a deal, while the 76ers have signaled Ben Simmons could be available.

This could significantly raise the price of a trade as the Rockets seek a fair return for the three-time scoring leader with at least two years remaining on his contract.

If the Nuggets refuse to part with Murray or All-NBA big man Nikola Jokic, they would likely have to center a package around high-upside youngsters like Michael Porter Jr. or Bol Bol. Porter averaged 9.3 points per game last season but showed flashes of elite play and could eventually develop into a key player.

A package of future first-round picks would also likely be required to complete a trade.

Denver already reached the Western Conference Finals last season with Murray and Jokic shouldering most of the offensive load. The duo averaged a combined 50.9 points during 19 postseason contests while no one else averaged more than 12 points per game.

Adding a premier scorer like Harden could make this team even more dangerous as it tries to compete with the likes of the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz in the West.