Bleacher Report free agency predictions offer great outcomes for Nuggets

With NBA free agency now just a few short weeks away, teams are really starting to ramp up their offseason plans and player pursuits. Teams have seen the playoffs and finals play out and have gotten a clever picture of where they stand and what they need to change going forward.

For some teams that means big splash moves and sweeping overhauls and for others it mostly means staying the course. To take a look at some potential early signings, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report penned an article titled, 2024 NBA Free Agency: Educated Guesses on Potential Early Signings. 

Paul George to Philadelphia

Pincus made some big bold predictions at the top of the article like Paul George going to the 76ers, Klay Thompson leaving Golden State for the Magic, Lauri Markkanen staying put in Utah, and more. But in his final prediction, Pincus shared a guess that should make Nuggets fans quite happy.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope staying in Denver

He predicted that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope would decline his player option and re-sign with the Nuggets on a new deal. While an expensive one, this would be the best possible outcome for Denver this offseason in free agency. As I’ve discussed here, the team has no means to replace KCP if he leaves, and his absence would be a major blow to their title chances next season.

Bringing back Caldwell-Pope would mean a roster that is almost certainly in the second apron of luxury tax, but the elite starting lineup would be fully intact going forward. The team will have to pay up even more down the road to extend Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon, but those are deals they’ll happily make.

The Nuggets cannot afford to take a step back

The team is too good and too close to contention right now for them to take a step back. Losing Bruce Brown and Jeff Green last year was tough, but losing KCP would be a far greater loss. They can’t afford to let him get away and to try and cover his minutes with young, unproven players or veteran minimum signings.

Let’s hope that this prediction turns out to be accurate. While hearing the words “second apron” has become scary, it’s not the end of the world for teams like the Nuggets that already have a championship roster in place. As long as ownership is willing to bite the bullet and keep this train rolling, this should be a no-brainer, and one that should have the Nuggets vying for another title next season.