The Nuggets’ ownership group has made it clear in the past few months that they hear the noise, and they are committed to change. They said all the right things, talking about the importance of maximizing Nikola Jokic’s championship window and saying they are ready to do whatever it takes to win, but there are still some big hurdles to clear.
The first one is rapidly approaching as the team’s roster currently sits $402K over the luxury tax with under two months until the NBA trade deadline. It was reported in the offseason that ownership wants to duck the tax, which would mean that a cost-cutting move is coming for a team with championship aspirations.
That $402K obviously is peanuts in NBA terms, but it’s about the principle, and what a move like that would indicate. This Denver roster is very good, but it’s far from perfect. Jokic and Jamal Murray are in the heart of their primes, and they may never have a better opportunity to win than the next few years.
The time to strike is now, and the front office should be scouring the league for any chance to upgrade the roster, regardless of the short-term cost. Yet every indication is that the Kroenkes will look to do the opposite, and find a way to save money, even if it means making the roster worse.
Time for Nuggets’ owners to put money where mouth is
It’s time to pony up and to pay up. There’s no excuse for the Nuggets to be selling at the deadline, and the idea that they won’t pay the tax when they have an all-time great player at the peak of his powers is an outrage.
They curried favor when they were willing to fire Michael Malone and Calvin Booth, showing that they wanted to fix the locker room. The following moves have all looked good as well, but how much credit does ownership really deserve for that?
They promoted their own assistants in David Adelman and Ben Tenzer, and while they made a splashy trade, it was ultimately a cost-saving one. So far, the Kroenkes have gotten to have their cake and eat it too, seeing the new Co-GMs improve the roster while also saving money.
But that’s not going to last forever, and very soon it will be time to invest in this team to ensure they are contenders for the duration of the Jokic era. The first step is being willing to pay the tax, and it’s a great chance for them to prove to the fans, and more importantly, to Jokic, that they are all in.