Projecting 2016-17 Salary Cap For Nuggets
By Evan Fiala
A glance into the Denver Nuggets’ salary cap situation in 2016-17.
As reported last week by USA Today, the projected salary cap and luxury tax amounts for the 2016-17 season are $92 million and $111 million, respectively. These numbers are up from earlier projections of $89 million and $108 million and are tied to the mega $24 billion TV deal signed in 2014 that kicks in this summer.
The official numbers won’t be announced until the 2016-17 league year begins in July.
For the Nuggets this increase in cap space is nothing but good news. These projections would give Denver a lot more wiggle room should they pursue anyone big in free agency as maximum contracts are also tied to the cap and will rise as a result. For a team already armed with three first-round picks in the draft, this gives even greater flexibility to make moves this offseason.
Here’s how the Nuggets’ roster and salary info currently stand for the 2016-17 season:
Guaranteed
Danilo Gallinari – $15,500,000
Kenneth Faried – $12,078,652
Wilson Chandler – $11,200,000
Jameer Nelson – $4,500,000
Will Barton – $3,666,666
Emmanuel Mudiay – $3,241,800
Jusuf Nurkic – $1,921,320
Gary Harris – $1,655,880
Nikola Jokic – $1,350,000
Total: $55,114,318
Non-Guaranteed
Joffrey Lauvergne – $1,709,720
JaKarr Sampson – $980,431
Axel Toupane – $874,636
Total: $3,564,787
Player Option
Darrell Arthur – $2,940,630
Total: $2,940,630
Dead Cap
Nick Johnson – $980,431
Total: $980,431
The Nuggets currently have nine players on next year’s roster with guaranteed money in 2016-17, three players with non-guaranteed contracts and one player option held by Darrell Arthur. After waiving Nick Johnson early last season, the Nuggets are also forced to eat the remainder of his contract next year.
The total current payroll for next season given the guaranteed money and adding Johnson’s dead cap hit will be approximately $56,094,749. This would give the Nuggets cap room of about $35 million.
However, the more realistic situation is that Denver will not be going into the offseason with just nine guaranteed players. Arthur, who has until June 24 to exercise his player option, is certainly expected to be a part of the team again, as he has expressed multiple times his desire to stay in Colorado.
Of the non-guaranteed deals, Joffrey Lauvergne is the obvious candidate to stay as well after earning significant minutes this past season in Jusuf Nurkic’s absence. Both JaKarr Sampson and Axel Toupane performed admirably at the end of this season, earning themselves contracts for the upcoming season.
Given the number of open roster spots left, it’s very possible that one or both of these young guys stick around to help increase the bench depth.
Adding Arthur, Sampson and Toupane to the mix, the Nuggets’ base salary increases to $62,600,166, giving cap room of about $29 million. Other considerations, however, include the three first-round draft picks and pending free agents.
It’s not likely that Denver will sign all three picks this season (if they even end up using all three for themselves), but it would be safe to include a cap hold for at least the No. 7 overall pick, which would be around $3 million.
The Nuggets will also have to decide what to do with free agents Mike Miller and D.J. Augustin. Miller would continue to provide much needed veteran leadership while Augustin has proven to be a high quality backup to Emmanuel Mudiay. Projected cap holds for these two, according to Spotrac, are $980,431 and $3.9 million, respectively.
With everything added together, the remaining cap room is $20,519,403.
Of course, given the uncertainty of the future it would be safe to expect that the Nuggets salary cap next year would range anywhere from $20 million to $30 million.
The official season doesn’t begin until early July. Until then, the looming question remains: how will Denver use this cap space and other assets to get better next season?