The Denver Nuggets, fresh off their surprising 2022-23 NBA championship run, are facing some roster shakeups with the departure of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency. This marks the second consecutive offseason that the Nuggets have lost a key rotation player, following Caldwell-Pope’s decision to sign a lucrative three-year, $66 million deal with the Orlando Magic.
“Even if Denver wanted to keep Caldwell-Pope, who has made at least 38.5% of his 3-point attempts, the Nuggets couldn’t afford him,” said a source close to the team. With Jamal Murray’s extension on the horizon, the Nuggets would have been way above the punitive second apron.
To fill the void left by Caldwell-Pope, the Nuggets have made some moves in the offseason. They acquired Dario Saric and rookie DaRon Holmes in a trade, and also re-signed DeAndre Jordan and Vlatko Cancar. Saric is expected to step into the role previously held by Jeff Green during the championship-winning season.
With 21 players currently under contract, including 15 on standard contracts, the Nuggets find themselves in a tight spot financially. All 15 players on standard contracts have fully guaranteed salaries totaling 182.9 million. As a result, the Nuggets are over the first apron and are just $4.7 million away from being hard-capped at the second apron.
Despite the current roster situation, there are rumors swirling about the Nuggets’ interest in Serbian guard Vasilije Micic. When asked if the team is done making moves, Nuggets president Josh Kroenke remained coy.
“Maybe,” Kroenke told Bennett Durando of the Denver Post. The uncertainty surrounding Micic and potential future moves has fans eagerly anticipating what lies ahead for the Denver Nuggets in the 2024-25 season.
