Training camp hasn’t even begun yet, but it already feels like the winds are blowing in the wrong direction for Zeke Nnaji. His role with the Nuggets was already on life support last season, as the young big man struggled to get on the floor, and that was before the numerous offseason additions to the bench.
Dario Saric proved to be a useless signing and an unplayable backup big. DeAndre Jordan gave it his all every night, but his best days were in the rearview, and he had no business being on the floor. The team drafted a big man in DaRon Holmes last year, but he tore his achilles and missed the entire season.
And despite all that, Nnaji still couldn’t cement his role in the rotation and was largely relegated to the end of the bench. The team tried to move him, but his contract proved to be too much of a turn-off for potential trade partners ahead of the deadline.
But it’s a new season now, and Nnaji finds himself even further down the depth chart. His path to playing time in Denver has never been murkier, and with one fewer season on his guaranteed contract, the push to deal him should be greater than ever.
Nnaji would need a near miracle to crack Nuggets’ rotation
Since the end of the season, the Nuggets have added a true backup center, flipping Dario Saric for Jonas Valanciunas, and Holmes has recovered from his achilles surgery and is ready to help the frontcourt right out of the gate.
Looking at the current roster, it’s fair to say Nnaji is the 13th or 14th man, battling with only Hunter Tyson for the very last seat on the bench. Neither player figures to factor into a crowded rotation, and they’ll almost certainly be buried at the end of the bench as long as they’re in Denver.
Tyson is on a minimum deal, so it’s hardly the end of the world, but Nnaji is due $8.2 million this season, $7.5 next season, and has a player option for another $7.5 million in 2027-28 which he’ll most definitely pick up. The Nuggets can’t waste a roster spot and ~$8 million for the next three seasons in the heart of Nikola Jokic’s prime.
They need to get aggressive in moving Nnaji and find a team that’s willing to take a chance on the 24-year-old stretch big man. He showed promise a few years ago, and with a change of scenery and a bunch of low-pressure minutes, there’s still a chance he could become a decent role player.
But that’s going to take a leap of faith from any team, and the Nuggets must be prepared to sell extremely low, probably even paying to get off the contract. But his time in Denver is running out, and the front office will be creative to find a way to get him out of town.