The Nuggets’ previous regime has been much maligned, and rightfully so. The combination of GM Calvin Booth and head coach Michael Malone proved to be toxic, and their relationship dragged the team down in many ways.
There is plenty of blame to go around, but now that the team seems to be back on the right track, it’s a little easier to take a more objective view of the good moves the team made over the years, along with the bad.
But with Jonas Valanciunas now firmly committed to the offseason, the vibes are strong in Denver. The team looks as deep as ever and is ready to make a true run at another NBA title. So let’s be positive and take a look at some good moves over the years.
Here are three players that the Nuggets chose to move on from at exactly the right time.
1.) Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
This was a controversial move at the time, and in many ways, it seemed like a sign of the team being cheap more than anything else. But just one year later, it’s clear the Nuggets made the right move. KCP fell off a cliff on offense last season, and the Magic have already made a trade to get off of his three-year, $66 million contract.
KCP might be trade fodder again with that deal now sitting in Memphis, and he’s quickly becoming one of the most overpaid players in the league. While he still clearly has some game left, he has negative value on his current deal.
2.) RJ Hampton
Hampton has almost completely been forgotten, but he was a hot young prospect, and it was seen as a steal when Denver was able to trade for his draft rights during the 2020 NBA Draft. Hampton was a 5-star recruit coming out of high school and was thought to be one of the best players in his class.
He debuted as a 19-year-old and looked like an exciting young player, but the Nuggets made him one of the centerpieces of their blockbuster trade to land Aaron Gordon at the deadline. He had a solid season and a half with the Magic, but was subsequently waived by three teams and hasn’t been in the league since February of 2024.
3.) Will Barton
Dealing Barton was another controversial move by the front office. He was one of the Nuggets’ best players for many years and a key contributor, seemingly still in his prime. The team dealt him and Monte Morris to the Wizards for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith, and many fans were not happy.
But KCP went on to be a perfect starter for the Nuggets, who helped them win a title, and Barton was never the same player. After averaging over 14 points per game in the 2021-22 season with Denver, he didn’t even make it through the following season, playing under 1000 more career minutes before being waived and since retired.