Denver Nuggets Predicted To Earn Unexpected NBA All-Star Nod

The Denver Nuggets have built a championship-caliber roster around three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, but they still have a very unique group. In today’s NBA, most championship contenders are built around a “big three” or superstar duo of some kind, but the Nuggets are much different.

Sure, the Nuggets have a couple of star-caliber players, but for the most part, they have simply built Jokic a strong supporting cast filled with players who know their role and fulfill that role exceptionally well.

For example, Jamal Murray is a very talented player, but is he one of the top point guards in the NBA?

Jokic has never had an All-Star teammate, which is a very unique approach from the Nuggets’ front office to not surround their three-time MVP and superstar center with another All-Star. However, could the 2025-26 season be the time to end that trend without adding an external All-Star?

ESPN recently shared their projection for the Nuggets, ranking them as the second-best team in the NBA, but also shared a “bold (but realistic) prediction” about Jokic’s supporting cast. ESPN’s Zach Kram believes that either Jamal Murray or Aaron Gordon will earn their first career All-Star nod.

“Two Nuggets make the All-Star team. Jokic has never had a teammate who has been named an All-Star, but that changes in 2025-26, as either Jamal Murray or Aaron Gordon is rewarded for a stellar first half with a trip to the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles in February,” Kram predicted.

With the 2025-26 regular season tipping off this week, it will not take long to see how Murray and Gordon are projected to perform in the new season.

The Nuggets should be sitting at or near the top of the Western Conference when it is time for All-Star voting, and it would not be shocking if either of these players started to gain some attention. Murray, especially, could make a case for an All-Star appearance if he is playing at his best.

Each of his past four seasons, Murray has averaged 20+ points per game while shooting over 39% from three-point range. If Murray can stay around or exceed those numbers for the first few months of the season, he should undoubtedly be in the All-Star conversation. Gordon, on the other hand, would have to exceed his expectations, which is possible, but it would be much more likely for Murray to receive some All-Star attention than Gordon.

It would not be shocking if Jokic remains the Nuggets’ only All-Star representation this season, but it would be a pleasant surprise if Murray or Gordon were able to get a nod.