Jake Fischer put out a bunch of detailed reporting on Saturday about the numerous rookie extension deadlines that are rapidly approaching. But buried within that story, while discussing Christian Braun, Fischer stated that Denver has already indicated that they don’t want to be a taxpayer next season.
This was tucked into his article as a little throw-away line, but this is massive for the Nuggets going forward. The NBA’s luxury tax line starts at just under $188 million for the 2025-26 season, so even if we assume it will go up slightly next season, that means the team is intending to have a payroll around $195 million or lower.
The current payroll is right around $192 million, so this may not seem like a big deal. But keep in mind, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray will each get about a $4 million bump next year, Cam Johnson will get a $2 million bump, Aaron Gordon will get an $11 million bump, and Braun and Peyton Watson are looking for extensions as we speak.
Denver owes roughly $166 million to their top four players next season, so that means if they plan to keep that top four intact, they’ll have about $30 million to fill out the roster. In that same Fischer piece, he indicated that Braun is seeking a deal worth at least $25 million a year, which would leave the Nuggets with $5 million to spend on 10 players.
Financial crunch is going to decimate Nuggets’ roster
If we’re being realistic here, the only way the Nuggets can stay below the tax is by offloading a starter. If they pay Braun what he wants, they have to dump salary elsewhere to have any hope of staying below the tax.
The other alternative is to just let Braun and Watson leave for nothing in free agency, which would be brutal for the roster, for team-building, and for the vibes of letting two good, young, homegrown players walk after developing for years in Denver.
None of these are particularly palatable options, but if the Kroenkes insist on being cheap and ducking the tax during the prime of Jokic’s career, these are the only options. It’s a sad dose of reality, and it puts things in major flux as soon as next offseason.
But if anything, let this be a reminder to enjoy this season. Everything is lined up for the Nuggets in 2025-26, with the deepest and most talented roster they’ve ever had. If these reports are to be believed, this could be the last time we see that, and major changes may be coming that fans are not going to like.