SAD NEWS : The Nuggets coach drafted away five players due to financial pressures of $30 million due to ,The Nuggets are in a difficult situation this offseason,
to say the least. The roster is becoming increasingly pricey, to the point where it is virtually unsustainable, and key players are leaving without a replacement. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope likely to be the next casualty, having formally declined his player option and becoming an unrestricted free agency. Multiple teams will be interested in signing KCP on the open market, and the Nuggets would have to pay up to keep him, a move that would push them well above the second apron of the salary limit, hard-capping them and then some. To say that every dollar counts this offseason would be an understatement. They must be extremely cautious with every decision they make and every dollar they spend. Trading up in the draft to grab DaRon Holmes II was a wise decision, but the higher pick results in a bigger salary, which implies greater luxury tax penalties.
On Thursday, the Nuggets made their first pure cost-cutting move of the offseason, trading veteran backup point guard Reggie Jackson to the Charlotte Hornets. The 34-year-old Jackson has been a reliable soldier for the Nuggets, particularly last season, but his peak years are plainly behind him, and he was nearly unplayable in the playoffs. Nonetheless, the team had no influence over the matter because Jackson was able to activate his player option earlier this week, securing his $5.25 million deal for next season. That isn’t a lot of money in and of itself, but when you include in luxury tax penalties, it adds up, and those are valuable resources that could be spent on actual rotation players. Reggie had to go, and the Nuggets paid generously to get rid of him. Along with Jackson, the Nuggets sent three future second-round draft picks to the Hornets in exchange for them taking on Jackson’s contract. The Nuggets got nothing in return; this move was purely to save money and get Jackson off their books.