Overview
- The Nuggets lost to the Timberwolves in six games in the first round, cutting short a season rebuilt for a deeper run.
- Denver has about $212 million already committed for 2026–27, placing it over the NBA’s first spending line and near the tighter second apron, a threshold that restricts trades, sign-and-trades, and other ways to add help for a bottom-10 defense.
- Decisions now center on free agents, with Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown unrestricted and Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones restricted, which could force pricey raises if Denver matches offers.
- Bleacher Report says the team may need to trade salary such as Aaron Gordon or Cameron Johnson to keep Watson or bring in defense-first wings, with Christian Braun’s big raise further squeezing options.
- Jokic passed on a max deal last summer and can opt out next year, yet he said his plan is to be a Nugget forever, a stance that raises the stakes for swift, cap-smart moves.