The Nuggets have built one of the best starting lineups in the NBA, mostly through savvy drafting and smart trades. But this offseason it’s finally coming time to pay the piper and the team is in a bit of a pickle.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has a player option for next season, but he’s almost sure to opt out and become an unrestricted free agent. KCP has outplayed his current contract and in a weak free agency class, he should be highly coveted on the open market.
The KCP conundrum
Herein lies the problem for Denver; the Nuggets can’t afford to bring back Caldwell-Pope on a big contract. If other teams offer a large contract, the Nuggets will badly want to match, and they can, but the financial ramifications will be brutal. The Nuggets will be locked into the second apron for years and they will have virtually zero room to add from there.
The team will be good and the starting lineup will be in place, but retaining any other players and keeping future free agents will get extremely tricky. Maybe one could argue keeping KCP is enough to keep the team competitive for the next few years, but creating a roster that expensive in the new CBA is a big risk
But on the other hand, if the Nuggets do not pay to retain Caldwell-Pope, they will have no means to replace him and the important role he plays for the Nuggets. KCP is the Nuggets' best perimeter defender, one of their most reliable shooters and ballhandlers, and a steady, proven, reliable veteran presence. His skill set is irreplaceable and it’s hard to even put his value into words for a championship-contending team.
Plus, his departure wouldn’t open up any salary cap space or any new means for the Nuggets to add players. The team will still be over the first apron at the very least, and they’ll be restricted to minimum contracts, small exceptions, and draft picks. The team will get significantly worse in the short term, and still won’t have a clear path to getting better in the near future.
No matter, what the team (and KCP) chooses to do, the Nuggets are in a tight squeeze. At the end of the day, the best solution is probably just to pay up to keep the championship starting lineup in place. They can at least contend for another title next season and they can deal with the financial burdens when the time comes.