The Oakland Athletics perfected a system in baseball to extract the most out of players for the least amount of money possible. They dug around and found players that complement needs on the margins. "Moneyball" it was called, and there was even a movie made about their success. The Denver Nuggets are about to embark on their own version of "Moneyball," and we're all about to see just how good of an offensive juggernaut Nikola Jokic is (he's pretty good!).
The Nuggets' offseason has been filled with minimum-contract veteran and rookie signings aside from the offer sheet match to Spencer Jones. The Nuggets are limited by what they can do because they are in salary violation of the NBA's second apron luxury tax. However, given the margins available, they do need some credit for being creative in how they've tried to get the most talent for their bottom dollar.
The Nuggets found cheap talent via the draft and Europe
The Nuggets started their journey on the margins via the 2026 NBA Draft. They traded the 26th pick of the first round to the San Antonio Spurs for the 35th pick of the second round and two future second-round picks. It's a fantastic trade on the margins. The 26th pick would have cost the Nuggets $3.45 million against the salary cap in 2026-27.
The 35th pick? The Nuggets signed Trevon Brazile to a four-year, $9.3 million contract. The cap hit for a rookie minimum salary this year? $1.35 million. That's an impressive $2 million in savings for being creative, and they gained draft capital.
The Nuggets also potentially got the best defender available on the free agent market, Alpha Diallo, from the EuroLeague. Diallo is the current Defensive Player of the Year in the EuroLeague, and he should fill most of the defensive deficit that the Peyton Watson sign-and-trade created. Sure, he doesn't have NBA experience, and it's a gamble on the talent. But at $1.35 million against the cap? Sounds like a "Moneyball" style move.
The Nuggets have five minimum contracts on the roster
All told, the Nuggets currently have five minimum contracts on the roster, with the two rookies included. They signed veterans DeMar DeRozan, Marvin Bagley III, and Tyus Jones. DeRozan and Bagley are going to be big members of the Nuggets' rotation. Tyus is the signing that hurts, as he's just not a true backup point guard who the Nuggets should be comfortable giving big minutes to.
But the rest of the signings? "Moneyball" style. Fans can be upset with the cheapness of the Nuggets, of course. But no NBA team wants anything to do with the second apron. The Nuggets are no different. Given their limited cap space to work with, they did pretty well with their signings, and they're just a small salary dump trade away from getting under the mark.
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