The Los Angeles Lakers are soon to begin a postseason that will go a long way toward determining how many of the current players fit the long-term vision. It’s a harsh reality facing a franchise that built its roster around a different superstar than the one they’re preparing to move forward with.
With this in mind, the Lakers’ front office will likely keep an ear to the ground and their eyes peeled for developments around the NBA during the 2025 postseason—and a wild rumor has already surfaced.
The Denver Nuggets will enter the 2025 NBA Playoffs in a similar position to the Lakers. After unceremoniously firing general manager Calvin Booth and head coach Michael Malone, many are wondering what the Nuggets could do next—and a previous choice could inform their future.
According to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, Booth explored an offseason trade that would’ve seen Denver part ways with star point guard Jamal Murray.
“Booth believed the sacrifice of KCP and other, more significant pivots could be necessary to win a second championship. He even explored trades involving Jamal Murray last offseason and Porter during this season, league sources told The Post.”
Booth is no longer the general manager, but if the Nuggets fail to make a deep run through the playoffs, it’s worth questioning if Murray will become available once again.
Nuggets shopped Jamal Murray—and there’s no guaranteeing a new GM won’t do it again
It’s obviously possible that the Nuggets will look to hire a general manager who will build with Murray rather than part ways with him. In the event that Denver opts to go in a different direction, however, the 28-year-old will be a hot commodity.
Los Angeles seemingly has its backcourt of the future in place with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, but the 2025 NBA Playoffs may provide a more concrete answer on that front.
Doncic and Reaves have played well as a backcourt pairing in 2024-25, but the sample size is admittedly small. They’ve shared the court for 26 games up to this point, during which time the Lakers have gone 16-10.
The results have been promising, but with Reaves just one year out from a potential round of free agency, there’s reason to explore other options before committing fully to him.
Reaves will play the final guaranteed season of his team-friendly deal in 2025-26. It’s highly unlikely that he’ll accept his player option for the 2026-27campaign at just $14,898,786, especially after a 2024-25 season that saw him play at a borderline All-Star level.
Reaves finished the 2024-25 campaign averaging 20.2 points, 5.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 2.7 three-point field goals made per game on .460/.377/.877 shooting.
Jamal Murray or Austin Reaves? The Playoffs will decide.
With this in mind, the 2025 NBA Playoffs will likely influence the Lakers’ decision-making this summer. Doncic reached the 2022 Western Conference Finals and 2024 NBA Finals sharing a backcourt with an All-Star guard, and that formula may be emulated in Los Angeles.
In that scenario, if Reaves struggles in the playoffs and the Nuggets make Murray available again, it stands to reason that the Lakers could kick the tires on a potential move for one of the most prolific postseason scorers in the NBA.
Murray, who played a co-starring role when Denver won the championship in 2022-23, boasts a career postseason average of 24.2 points per game. He’s No. 5 in NBA history in career 50-point games during the playoffs and No. 25 in career 40-point games in that same setting.
It’s admittedly a long-shot, but the Lakers could have an opportunity to pair a title-winning guard with Doncic if the Nuggets lose early in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
