There has been some pressure for the Nuggets to sign a player and fill their final roster spot, and also to spend some more money to prove that the Michael Porter Jr. deal was more than a salary dump. But in reality, Denver is in an extremely beneficial position with their current roster and salary cap situation.
By staying below the first apron, the Nuggets will be able to use all of their trade exceptions, including the midlevel exception and they will be one of the few contending teams that can actually sign any player from the buyout market later this season.
So there is actually no rush at all to make a move, especially as there’s not much of a market right now. Sure, they could add a veteran point guard to the end of the bench on a minimum deal, but there aren’t many players available at the moment who could clearly make an impact and crack the rotation.
Instead, by carrying the empty roster spot and staying below the luxury tax and aprons, the Nuggets will have the ability to make a tangible upgrade during the season, unlike most teams around the league.
Nuggets will have great chance to add any player they want in season
As currently constructed, the roster is already very deep at almost every position. They should enter training camp this way and see how things play out. Let the veterans and young players compete for minutes, and things will fall into place.
With this much depth and talent, the team has the luxury to let the season start, then assess how the new squad looks. Maybe they come out like gangbusters and there is no clear reason to make any tweaks to the rotation at all.
Or maybe a clear weakness or shortcoming emerges, and the team decides they need to upgrade. Well, luckily for them, they’ll have every opportunity to do so, as they won’t be restricted in any way by the harsh penalties of the new CBA.
They’ll be able to aggregate players in a trade, they’ll be able to take on extra salary, they’ll be able to take an extra player to the roster, and perhaps most importantly, they’ll be able to sign any player who is bought out during the season.
That’s a big one, because we have no idea how the buyout market will play out, but inevitably, every year, there is a game-changer or two that hits the market during the year. Most teams vying to win it all are at least over the first apron, which prevents them from signing anyone bought out who was making more than the midlevel exception.
That’s a lot of players and a lot of teams, but it won’t impact the Nuggets. In fact, it will give them a huge advantage as they’ll be able to take on that player and add them to the roster without making any other changes. Not many teams can say that, and holding onto that card into the year could pay off in a big way in the future.