The Denver Nuggets won the championship title in 2023, and since then, they have not made it to the NBA Finals. Nikola Jokic has been a top-two MVP candidate for five consecutive years, something that hasn’t happened in almost four decades. The last time a player finished top two in five consecutive years was Larry Bird in the 1980s. Despite Jokic’s amazing play, the Nuggets cannot get over the hump. And now, the Denver Nuggets owner revealed a scenario that might force them to trade Jokic.
Nuggets Owner Admits Nikola Jokic Trade Is Not Off the Table
Speaking for the first time after the season ended, Nuggets owner Josh Kroenke revealed a nightmare scenario where the second apron might punish them. He said,
“For us as an organization, going into that second apron is not something that we are scared of. I think there are rules around it that we need to be very careful of with our injury history. The wrong person gets injured and very quickly you are in a scenario where I don’t want to contemplate, trading No. 15. We are very conscious of that pushing forward, and you know, providing the resources that we can when the moment arrives. Teams are very aware of the second apron going forward.”
Nuggets owner Josh Kroenke believes there’s a nightmare scenario where the wrong player gets injured, and the second apron could force them to consider the possibility of trading Nikola Jokić
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Of course, this is the worst-case scenario for the Nuggets. As a small market team, they have to be very careful with their cap situation. The NBA wanted parity with the apron rules, and they got it. Seven different teams have won the title in the last seven years, something that was unheard of before.
Understanding Nuggets Cap Situation
Right now, the Nuggets have $199 million in committed salary for the 2025-26 season. But that takes into account the player option for Russell Westbrook. Reports are that he will not exercise it and will become a free agent. Whether the Nuggets re-sign him to another contract is still up in the air.
For next season, the NBA salary cap is set at $154 million, with the luxury tax at $187.9 million. The first apron is at $195.9 million, and the second apron is projected at $207.8 million.
For the 2024-25 season, the Nuggets were a first-apron team, which prevented them from making big trades. Teams over the second apron cannot aggregate contracts to make a trade, and cannot take back more money than they send.
This summer, the Nuggets will have to find some bench help, but also re-sign key players like Christian Braun and Peyton Watson. That can very easily put them over the second apron for next season.
Historically, Denver as an organization hasn’t paid the tax. They have paid the tax since winning the title in 2023. However, since then, they have left key rotational players to walk due to money issues, including Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Jamal Murray Injury Can Force Kroenke’s Hand
The Nuggets owner said that an injury to a key player is the only reason that might force them to consider a Nikola Jokic trade. Looking at their cap situation, there is only one player making more than $40 million that can force their hand. That player is Jamal Murray, who has had a history of injuries. He played in only 48 games during the 2020-21 season and missed the entire 2021-22 season.
Michael Porter Jr and Aaron Gordon are two other names, but their contracts are easier to trade. Murray has four more years left on his contract and $243 million in guaranteed salary. Of course, it is hard to envision such a nightmare scenario. But Kroenke is honest that remaining in the second apron with injured players is not an option. It is a similar thing happening in Boston right now, with the Celtics shedding money after the Jayson Tatum injury.
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