The Nuggets missed the postseason for a fourth straight season this year, but they took steps in the right direction and unearthed a franchise-type center in Nikola Jokic. Set to earn the minimum salary in 2017/18, Jokic will be perhaps the NBA’s best bargain. He won’t be this inexpensive forever, but while he is, Denver has a great opportunity to attempt to take advantage of the flexibility by adding talent around him.
Here’s where things currently stand for the Nuggets financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2017:
Guaranteed Salary
- Kenneth Faried ($12,921,348)
- Wilson Chandler ($12,016,854)
- Darrell Arthur ($7,464,912)
- Jameer Nelson ($4,736,050)
- Will Barton ($3,533,333)
- Emmanuel Mudiay ($3,381,480)
- Jamal Murray ($3,355,320)
- Gary Harris ($2,550,055)
- Juan Hernangomez ($2,076,840)
- Malik Beasley ($1,700,640)
- Nikola Jokic ($1,471,382)
- Total: $55,208,214
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Mike Miller ($3,500,000)1
- Total: $3,500,000
Restricted Free Agents
- Mason Plumlee ($4,588,840 qualifying offer / $5,821,325 cap hold)
- Total: $5,821,325
Cap Holds
- Danilo Gallinari ($22,575,000) — Player option declined.
- Roy Hibbert ($6,000,000)
- No. 13 overall pick ($2,621,280)
- Total: $31,196,280
Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000
Maximum Cap Room: $43,170,506
- With 11 guaranteed salaries on their books and a cap hold for their first-round pick, the Nuggets have a modest team salary of $57,829,494. If the club intends to make a serious effort to re-sign Gallinari, that figure will grow, reducing cap flexibility. But if Gallinari departs and Denver makes a trade or two, the team could create even more cap room.
Footnotes:
- Miller’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 12.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders and The Vertical was used in the creation of this post.