The Denver Nuggets are probably the most fascinating groups within the NBA getting into the 2024-25 season. Denver received its first NBA championship in franchise historical past in 2023 as star heart Nikola Jokic emerged as one of the best participant on the earth. The Nuggets seemed poised to repeat as champions final season as Jokic’s earned his third MVP, however a nagging damage to Jamal Murray on the unsuitable time and a obvious lack of depth finally value Denver a back-to-back bid when the Minnesota Timberwolves knocked them out in a traditional seven-game second spherical sequence.
Jokic turns 30 in Feb. of this season, and stays very a lot within the prime of his profession. You’d assume a group constructed round a singular, historic expertise like Jokic can be going all-in on surrounding him with veterans who match the group’s proof of idea from its 2023 championship, however as a substitute Denver has bled expertise the final two summers.
Bruce Brown and Jeff Inexperienced left the group in free company in the summertime of 2023 following the title run. This summer season noticed a good greater deflection: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope — arguably the group’s finest defender and spot-up three-point shooter —left the Nuggets for a three-year, $66 million deal from the Orlando Magic.
Denver’s entrance workplace all the time had a plan to switch the lack of these key veterans. Lead govt Calvin Sales space has been clear in his want to see a gaggle of youthful gamers he drafted over the previous couple of years get an opportunity to develop into greater roles. Youthful gamers on rookie contracts make much less cash, and that provides the Nuggets extra flexibility with the extra punitive ‘second apron’ hanging over the group. There’s just one downside: head coach Mike Malone didn’t assume they have been ok to deal with massive minutes down the stretch final yr.
It doesn’t take a genius to attach the dots that Malone and Sales space may not completely be seeing eye-to-eye on taking part in time. ESPN’s Zach Lowe talked about that risk on the most recent episode of his important podcast, The Lowe Submit, which has after all been aggregated all over the place. “There are rumblings,” Lowe mentioned on his podcast this week. “Rumblings! That the teaching workers and entrance workplace, or at the very least the top coach and the entrance workplace, aren’t precisely seeing eye to eye in Denver. To a level even uncommon for the NBA.”
Lowe didn’t current this as breaking information, precisely. Sales space even talked about how he and Malone may not all the time see eye-to-eye after the season:
Sales space doesn’t see any big holes within the Nuggets roster however he does say typically he and Malone’s views typically don’t align. Nevertheless it’s uncommon. pic.twitter.com/JjsIng7bDg
— Jake Shapiro (@Shapalicious) Could 23, 2024
By dropping KCP and signing solely Russell Westbrook this summer season, Sales space has basically pressured Malone’s hand this season to play his younger guys. That group contains Christian Braun, Peyton Watson, Julian Strawther, Jalen Pickett, and Hunter Tyson. The Nuggets are already down one promising teen after rookie DaRon Holmes III tore his ACL at summer season league.
Denver dropping KCP is certainly one of a number of free company deflections — together with the Clippers dropping Paul George — that might be blamed on the second apron. Denver might have been arrange for a number of seasons within the second apron if it matched KCP’s contract, which might have restricted its group constructing avenues and elevated its luxurious tax transferring ahead. These apron ducking strikes completely scan as cheapness from possession, even when there’s advantage to retaining flexibility transferring ahead.
That is all a sport of threat and reward. Denver may have risked restricted flexibility sooner or later to bringing KCP again and making an attempt to win the championship proper now whereas Jokic remains to be at its peak. As a substitute, it’s risking reducing its championship odds this yr to probably elongate the group’s window round Jokic.
The large mistake Sales space made was paying Zeke Nnaji, his first spherical choose from 2020. Nnaji simply wasn’t ok to play actual minutes final season whilst Denver badly wanted a backup massive man. He’s making virtually $9 million per yr this season on a de-escalating contract. It positive would have been good to have that cash free to attempt to preserve Caldwell-Pope round.
Sales space provided an extremely trustworthy evaluation of his want to develop the younger core forward of final season even when it value his group the 2024 title. Right here’s what he instructed The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor:
“I simply need dudes that we attempt to develop, and it’s sustainable,” Nuggets GM Calvin Sales space instructed me final August. “If it prices us the prospect to win a championship this yr, so be it. It’s well worth the funding. It’s extra about successful three out of six, three out of seven, 4 out of eight than it’s about making an attempt to go back-to-back.”
Denver didn’t win the championship in 2024, but it surely additionally didn’t actually develop its younger gamers. Solely Braun was within the playoff rotation, whereas Watson was largely a wholesome scratch within the second spherical and Strawther was harm.
There’s additionally the Jamal Murray piece to contemplate right here. Murray was underwhelming all through the 2024 playoffs and by no means seemed totally wholesome. He was unhealthy within the 2024 Paris Olympics for Canada, too. By the best way, he’s additionally due for an enormous extension with the Nuggets that also hasn’t been signed. Can Murray get again to being the second finest participant on a title group, or is he already beginning to slip?
Denver ought to nonetheless be superb regardless, however with Oklahoma Metropolis loading up, Dallas reworking its roster, and different challengers persevering with to emerge, it feels just like the Nuggets are simply making an attempt to maintain tempo within the West at a time when they need to be main the pack. Denver may have simply re-signed KCP and found out its payroll crunch later. As a substitute, it’s making an enormous guess on a bunch of unproven expertise across the sport’s finest participant.
Jokic deserves to have a couple of ring on his finger by the point his profession is over. The Nuggets are making extremely daring — and low-cost! — strikes that may both look genius or extremely silly after this season.