If Jamal Murray is concerned at all by the pause in contract extension talks with the Nuggets, he didn’t show it Wednesday.
“When we get there, we get there,” Murray said after the Canadian national team’s exhibition in Las Vegas. “I’m playing games right now for Canada, so that’s not on my mind.”
Canada jumped to an 11-1 lead but lost 86-72 to the United States in the friendly showcase game ahead of the Paris Olympics. Murray had a quiet night in limited playing time, totaling five points on 2-for-8 shooting in 17 minutes. He and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are the faces of a Canadian squad with several other NBA players.
With one year remaining on his current contract, Murray is eligible for up to a four-year, $208.5 million extension. He and the Nuggets will likely come to an agreement after the Olympics are done, a league source told The Denver Post earlier this week.
Murray averaged 21.2 points and 6.5 assists last season, shooting 48% from the field and 42.5% from 3-point range. But he struggled in the playoffs for the first time in his career, making only 40% of his shots as Denver was eliminated in the second round.
In the Olympics, Canada will play in a group with Greece, Australia and Spain.
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