As Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray continue their development into the faces of the Denver Nuggets organization, they will become very expensive. Jokic signed a five-year $147 million contract before of the 2018-19 season, and Murray signed a five-year $170 million extension that will kick in during the 2020-21 season. With so much money tied to two players, the Nuggets are relying on both to be as great as they can be. Jokic is well on his way to justifying that contract. Murray still has a ways to go.
Surrounding the star pieces with effective complementary players becomes paramount with the salary cap structured this way.