Calvin Booth wasn't the top decision-maker for the Denver Nuggets for very long. But what he left for the next general manager or president of basketball operations was minimal draft capital that the Nuggets will be left dealing with for years, which was bad enough, and quite extensive. But the other lingering issue has been the contract of Zeke Nnaji, who Booth extended. Now, the Nuggets could be looking to trade Nnaji plus their first-round pick in next week's NBA Draft to get off the extension that Booth signed Nnaji to.
The latest rumor from HoopsHype and Michael Scotto points to the Nuggets trading out of the 26th pick in the NBA Draft next week to someone willing to take Nnaji on so the Nuggets can start to shed some salary to avoid the NBA's second apron penalty threshold. It's not a pleasant plan, as the Nuggets need to get younger, on top of all of their other needs, and the best way to do it is via the draft.
Calvin Booth signed Nnaji and traded so much draft capital
Calvin Booth was a wheeling, dealing, general manager who wasn't afraid to trade the future to try to move up in the draft, but the future is now, and Booth's legacy is about to get the Nuggets again. Just two years ago, Booth traded away their second-round pick of the 2024 draft plus the second-round pick for this year's draft, and the 2031 second-round pick to move up six spots to draft DaRon Holmes II, who the Nuggets did not fit into the rotation in what turned out to be his injury-delayed rookie season.
Booth had even traded up, added a future first-round pick, plus a future second-round pick for Peyton Watson. Sure, that's nice if the Nuggets are now able to re-sign Watson. The lack of future draft capital for the future was bad enough, but extending Nnaji was also egregious.
Nnaji's player-friendly contract, front-loaded but with a player option for 2027-28, which he will certainly exercise on someone for $7.4 million, was handed out after Nnaji regressed to 5.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in just 13.7 minutes of floor time in 53 games. Nnaji got a decent extension and never cracked the rotation the following three seasons.
Who would even take Nnaji?
The Nuggets need to find a team with a lot of cap space and a roster spot to fill, because Nnaji probably won't crack the rotation wherever he ends up. That team will also have to assume they can get the player they've targeted with that 26th pick.
Booth left his mark on the Nuggets' future, and an egregious contract is making the present even more difficult now as well. The Nuggets will be stuck with Booth's messes for years.
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