Nuggets exercise team options on three players

The Nuggets have exercised team options for the 2019-20 season on Jamal Murray, Juancho Hernangomez and Malik Beasley, the team announced Tuesday.

Oct. 31 is the last day that clubs can exercise team options on the rookie scale contracts of former first-round picks. The Nuggets still have to decide on 2017 first-round pick Tyler Lydon and if the team will pick up his option by Wednesday’s deadline.

Murray, the seventh overall pick in 2016, has emerged as a franchise cornerstone for the Nuggets. The 21-year-old averaged 16.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists last year for Denver in his first full season as the Nuggets’ starting point guard. Hernangomez, the 15th overall pick in 2016 and Beasley, who was taken four draft slots later, have both played sparingly for Denver over the last three seasons. Beasley is coming off of a season-high 12 points on 5-9 shooting in 31 minutes in the Nuggets’ 116-111 win over the Pelicans.

Lydon, who Denver acquired in a 2017 draft night trade with Utah, began his rookie year in the G League but tore his meniscus in late-January which ended his season. Lydon underwent surgery and was back on the floor for Denver at Summer League where the 6-foot-10 forward averaged 7.7 points and 6.3 rebounds across three games. He’s logged five minutes of playing time for the Nuggets this season.