For those that want an in-depth explanation of the finances behind how this benefits all parties (ownership, Vlatko, and the front office), I went over it several weeks ago in my offseason preview: drive.google.com/file/d/15kxR5W…

If Denver brings Vlatko back and drafts at 28 without making other moves, they’d enter next season with only 7 players having 3000+ career minutes. Two teams last season had 7 (or fewer) players appear for them w/ 3000 or fewer career MP: Blazers (21-61 record) Spurs (22-60)

Denver for the remainder of the 2024-25 season will be able to trade one draft pick: 2031 first rounder Through the end of 2025-26 they will have two: 2031 first rounder 2032 second rounder I believe they give this core one more “go” before attempting to recoup some assets.

Jumping on 92.5 FM - Denver's Altitude Sports Radio momentarily to chat Nuggets salary cap and answer some questions - tune in if you’re curious where things stand!

Couple non-cap space teams in here listed as interested in KCP. His outgoing cap number in a sign-and-trade is a little funky due to base year compensation, but if Denver can stay below the 2nd apron, sending him out in a S&T may help them net players they couldn’t otherwise get

Jake reports Denver has at least done some due diligence on adding Westbrook. The Nuggets could theoretically fold him into the Reggie Jackson trade (or do it later using the TPE).

Would also add that Denver can fold in Westbrook to the Jackson deal (one way or another), re-sign Vlatko to a minimum, and bring in someone using the full taxpayer MLE (~$5.15 million) in the event that KCP leaves.

The Denver Nuggets have a pathway to replace Kentavious Caldwell-Pope with a starter-level guard. If they unload Zeke Nnaji’s $8.9 million, and sign and trade Pope to Orlando, they could use his outgoing salary toward up to a $21 million player. Bogdan Bogdanovic and Norman

Worth adding: Denver was apparently interested in Paul George, so we can assume they’d have future interest in adding that “type” of talent. If you become a second apron team, that type of deal becomes nearly impossible to pull off. They’re keeping their options open.

Excellent thread here - under the new CBA there’s no longer a direct correlation between your owner’s willingness to spend and the actual cost of your roster. Things just go a lot deeper now. And different teams are going to attack it in different ways.

Talking to some teams tonight and it sounds like what's being worked on now is expanding some of the previously agreed upon trades. There are also talks of tying some deals together into bigger deals. Essentially, teams are trying to find ways to make mutually beneficial trades.

With KCP’s exit being a signing and not a sign-and-trade - Denver’s easiest route to bringing back another rotation player via trade is now closed.

Denver now just over the first tax apron (including all incentives) with 13 players on the roster. The Nuggets will have a $5.3 million TPE to use from the Reggie Jackson trade in all likelihood, though they may choose to carry that into the season for later flexibility.

It appears, per Hornets PR, that Denver also received a 2025 second round pick (via PHI) in the Reggie Jackson deal. The net number of picks to get off Jackson’s contract for this season is two second rounders.

This press release contained a mistake, and Denver will actually not be receiving any second-round draft compensation in this deal - thanks to some excellent reporting by Bennett Durando for ironing out the details.

Denver will likely be able to generate a disabled player exception for Holmes - though due to his rookie salary it will only be worth about $1.53 million, and at best might be a buyout tool come early March. This exception does not grant an additional roster spot.

You can read about it here, but Trey Alexander and P.J. Hall both look more ready to contribute than Jalen Pickett and Hunter Tyson do right now. The Nuggets have to nail their bench guaranteed contracts because they are so expensive with their starters. Picket & Tyson have to

If Westbrook signs a two-year minimum (including player option), the Nuggets would be on the hook for all $3.3 million of his salary in 2024-25 (along with the tax implications of that larger cap hit). One year minimums in 2024-25 only count ~$2M against the cap.

Some people seem to be concerned about the option: The cap is rising 10% next season, almost certainly. Westbrook’s minimum salary in 2025-26 is more than this option will be. He’s going to opt out barring career-ending injury. This is not similar to the Reggie option.

Rewording my last tweet, since it seemed to confuse some: Jamal’s total career earnings with this guaranteed deal amount to roughly $380 million. That’s the highest number by a player who has yet to make an all star team, ahead of Tobias Harris, CJ McCollum, OG Anunoby, etc.