The Los Angeles Lakers are about to enter a crucial period that might determine their long-term plan once the 2024-25 NBA Playoffs start. With the roster now built around Luka Doncic, as opposed to the aging LeBron James, the front office is making deliberate considerations of which players suit the franchise's changing vision.

Postseason won't merely decide championship aspirations—it could inspire blockbuster roster adjustments. And with wild rumors already circulating, all eyes are on Denver's best point guard.

Jamal Murray Trade Rumors Emerge Amid Nuggets Chaos

NBA Trade Rumors: Could Jamal Murray Join Luka Doncic NBA Trade Rumors: Could Jamal Murray Join Luka Doncic
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The Denver Nuggets are currently facing one of the most terrible moments before the playoffs: losing a championship-winning head coach.

Following the dismissal of general manager Calvin Booth and head coach Michael Malone, the future trajectory of the franchise remains cloudy. As reported by The Denver Post, Booth earlier looked into sending Jamal Murray, the title-champion point guard of Denver, packing.

Although Booth is no longer at the front office, the threat of relocating Murray may resurface, particularly if the Nuggets fail early in the playoffs. Murray was said to have been shopped in offseason trade discussions, an indication that Denver's previous administration had weighed drastic reforms in pursuit of another championship.

Back in LA, the Luka Doncic-Austin Reaves duo has had glimpses of hope. Together in 26 games, the Lakers went 16-10—good, but not nearly a big enough sample size to make long-term commitments.

With Reaves on the last guaranteed year of his contract in 2025-26 and facing a player option he won't take, his long-term fit remains uncertain.

Starting as an undrafted player, Reaves proved that he could help a team a lot. This season, he scored 20.2 points along with 5.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.7 threes per game on solid shooting splits.

Contributing to the scoring load is what the Lakers need from him but sharing the stage with Doncic on a championship team is another story.

Is Jamal Murray the Missing Piece?

If Reaves disappoints in the playoffs and Denver again decides to trade Murray, the Lakers might strike. Murray has an established playoff track record. He has a career playoff average of 24.2 points per game, with several 50-point games and a 2023 championship ring.

Mating a high-scoring, clutch guard like Murray with Doncic might replicate the chemistry Doncic had with former backcourt mate Jalen Brunson during extended playoff runs, Lake Show Life reports.

For a Lakers organization yearning for postseason consistency, the 28-year-old guard might be the perfect complement.

The 2025 NBA Playoffs will not only determine this year's champion—they might determine the destiny of two franchises. With the Nuggets' leadership in question and the Lakers' roster assessment in progress, Jamal Murray's status is hanging by a thread.

For the moment, it's speculation. But should Denver fizzle and LA disappoint, don't look for anything if the Lakers don't make a push to get Murray to Hollywood.

A Murray trade might not happen, but let's not remove the fact that a Nikola Jokic trade could also happen.