Rookie scale contract extensions haven't exactly been the easiest thing to navigate for the Denver Nuggets over the past few years, to say the least. And they're up against a ticking clock to figure out what to do with the next young player who's eligible for an extension, Julian Strawther. The Nuggets have until October 19th to see if they've learned from prior mistakes.
The Nuggets need to get this choice right
Going back to October 2023, the Nuggets began their questionable extension decisions by extending Zeke Nnaji for four years, $32 million. On top of giving a non-rotation player a sizeable deal, the Nuggets also gave their 2020 first-round pick a very player-friendly contract, giving Nnaji two player-option years at $7.4 million each. As someone who still hasn't cracked the rotation, he's obviously going to exercise each of those, and the Nuggets look to be stuck with Nnaji for at least another year.
Fast forward to October of 2025, and the Nuggets made a couple of errors again. They gave Christian Braun his massive, five-year, $125 million extension, which kicks in this year. And they failed to give Peyton Watson an extension that could have been much more affordable than the one he received from the Cleveland Cavaliers in the recently completed sign-and-trade.
Three strikes for sure, but this isn't baseball, and the Nuggets just have to manage their future the best way they can, putting them into a conundrum with Julian Strawther.
Nuggets should wait and let Strawther become an RFA like Watson
The Nuggets' recent rookie-scale extension decisions have not worked out, and given the Nuggets' terrible salary situation -- currently the only team in the NBA to be over the second-apron luxury tax penalty threshold -- they have to get this one right. They should take the easier choice and let Strawther become a restricted free agent like Watson this past summer.
Strawther saw his role reduced last year with the Nuggets' addition of Tim Hardaway Jr., who took over as the sixth man off the bench and was ahead of him on the depth chart. Hardaway's gone, but DeMar DeRozan has entered the picture now, and it remains to be seen how the Nuggets will use Strawther. Plus, Strawther's a defensive liability, another reason his role has diminished, keeping him out of the rotation at times.
The Nuggets jumped the gun twice and got burned by two bad contracts. The last thing they need is a third one by extending Strawther before seeing what he does in his fourth year in the league. He's potentially going to get another shot at making the rotation this year, so it would make more sense to see how he does in that role and worry about bringing him back next summer in free agency if he pans out.
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