Overview
- Late Sunday, Denver matched Oklahoma City's two‑year, $12 million offer for Spencer Jones and that decision pushed the Nuggets over the NBA’s second salary‑cap apron, creating a roughly $68 million projected luxury‑tax bill.
- The Nuggets have a reported five‑year, $70 million offer on the table for restricted free agent Peyton Watson while his camp has sought a much larger payday and is weighing the $6.5 million qualifying offer to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
- Being over the second apron bars Denver from taking back salary in a sign‑and‑trade, so the team must shed payroll before it can realistically use sign‑and‑trade routes to move Watson or take on other contracts.
- Multiple teams — notably the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers and Atlanta Hawks — have shown interest in a sign‑and‑trade for Watson, with reporting suggesting the Bucks are the most plausible outside suitor because of their trade exception and available assets.
- Cap analysts have warned that keeping Watson at starter money would push Denver’s tax bill into the nine‑figure range and that the franchise may have to move a high‑salary player to restore flexibility, a choice that could alter the supporting cast around Nikola Jokić and affect the team’s short‑term title window.