The way Jamal Murray has been playing lately, combined with his outstanding body of work across the entire 2025-26 season, the buzz around him making an All-NBA team for the first time in his career has grown louder — and it’s no longer just about sneaking onto the third team. There’s now serious momentum for him to land on the second team.
Whether Murray has truly delivered one of the 10 best individual seasons in the NBA this year remains a debate for reasonable minds. However, thanks to the league’s strict 65-game minimum eligibility threshold for awards and All-NBA honors, that discussion could quickly become irrelevant.
On Thursday, two major pieces of news emerged that will have a significant indirect impact on Murray’s candidacy. In the morning, the Detroit Pistons announced that superstar Cade Cunningham would be reevaluated in one week. That means at least four more missed games for Cunningham, who was putting together an unbelievable season before a collapsed lung derailed it. Even if he returns right after the reevaluation, Cunningham will fall short of the 65-game mark. As a result, he becomes ineligible for All-NBA consideration — a brutal blow for a player who was widely viewed as a lock and a strong candidate for first-team honors.
Later that afternoon, word came down that Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards would miss Thursday night’s game. This caps Edwards’ season at a maximum of 64 games. Ant had missed time earlier with a knee issue but returned with the clear intention of hitting the 65-game threshold. Unfortunately, he was ruled out due to a combination of illness and lingering knee concerns. Another young star who was a near-lock for All-NBA — and potentially first-team — is now officially out of the running.
These are harsh developments for two of the league’s brightest young talents, but the rules are clear. With just days left in the regular season, two high-profile spots have suddenly opened up.
Murray was already considered a virtual lock to make an All-NBA team. With Cunningham and Edwards now ineligible, a promotion to the second team has become very realistic. That would be a remarkable achievement for a player in his 10th NBA season who, until this year, had never even earned an All-Star selection, let alone All-NBA recognition.
Injuries may have cleared a path for Murray, but that doesn’t diminish his case in the slightest. He deserves this honor 100%. Murray made a clear commitment in the offseason to improve his conditioning and overall game. He arrived in camp in peak shape and has been one of the most durable, reliable, and consistent performers in the league all season long.
Injuries are unfortunately part of the NBA landscape. They’ve impacted Jamal throughout his career, costing him potential honors in previous years. There’s no reason to view this accomplishment as tainted — Murray has earned it through his own hard work, elevated play, and availability when it mattered most for the Denver Nuggets.