The Denver Nuggets will start the 2021-22 season without star guard Jamal Murray.
The 24-year-old is still recovering from a torn left ACL suffered during the 2020-21 season and is expected to remain sidelined indefinitely.
What's next for Murray? Here's everything we know about his injury and the latest news on when he may return to the court.
Jamal Murray injury timeline
On April 12, 2021, Murray made his first return to action against the Golden State Warriors after missing the previous four games with right knee soreness. He suffered a non-contact injury on a fast break in the fourth quarter of the contest and would later be deemed out for the season, suffering a torn left ACL.
This came as a significant blow to the Nuggets, who were rolling after a strong trade deadline, winning 17 of their last 20 games. They were beginning to look like a championship caliber team before they lost Murray, who was enjoying a career-year averaging 21.2 points, 4.8 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.
When could Jamal Murray return from injury?
There has been no timetable set for Murray's return, as he is out indefinitely.
At 2021 Media Day, Murray gave a brief, non-update on his injury, stating, "Just five months ago, I couldn’t lift my leg off the bed. So, I’ve come a long way. But even when I do certain things, I’ve got to remind myself that I can’t do it to the speed or the level that I want to do it. … That’s just going to come with time. And I can’t rush time.”
Tim Connelly, the Nuggets' president of basketball operations, gave a similar non-update on Murray's knee injury.
“He’ll come back when he’s ready. Not when we tell him, not a date on the calendar. Only he will know when he’s ready. And we’re at zero rush.”
ACL injuries typically take a full year of recovery, meaning a rough estimate would be some time in April, but of course, everyone heals differently.
Jamal Murray injury history
Murray doesn't have a lengthy injury history by any means.
During his rookie season in 2016-17, he played in all 82 games for the Nuggets. In his second season in 2017-18, he missed just one game due to rest.
In Year 3, in 2018-19, Murray was absent for his first chunk of time, missing six games with a minor left ankle injury. In 2019-20, he missed 10 games due to another left ankle sprain, the previous longest stretch of his career prior to his ACL injury.
As mentioned, Murray had missed just four games during the 2020-21 season with right knee soreness before tearing his left ACL in his first game back.
