As expected, Nuggets guard Bruce Brown will turn down his player option for the 2023/24 season, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Rather than locking in a ’23/24 salary worth $6,802,950, Brown will hit the free agent market, where he’ll be able to sign a new deal with Denver or a rival suitor.
Brown, who signed with the Nuggets last summer following a two-year stint in Brooklyn, averaged a career-best 11.5 points per night on .483/.358/.758 shooting in 80 games (28.5 MPG) this past season.
The 26-year-old also contributed 4.1 RPG and 3.4 APG while handling a variety of defensive assignments. In the postseason, he played the most minutes of any Denver reserve, bumping his scoring average to 12.0 PPG while shooting 51.1% from the floor.
Because Brown signed with the Nuggets just one year ago, the team only holds his Non-Bird rights, giving them the ability to offer up to about $7.8MM, a 20% raise on his previous $6.5MM salary. The club intends to offer that full raise, per Mike Singer of The Denver Post (Twitter link).
The Nuggets could theoretically offer more than $7.8MM if they had cap room or the full mid-level exception available, but they project to be over the luxury tax line, limiting their spending flexibility.
Brown is considered likely to receive an offer in the neighborhood of the full mid-level ($12MM) from another team, but spoke after the Nuggets’ championship about his desire to remain in Denver, telling reporters that “money isn’t everything.” If he’s willing to accept a below-market salary in 2023/24, he could sign another one-plus-one deal, then opt out again in 2024 and sign a more lucrative, longer-term contract with the Nuggets once they hold his Early Bird rights.
We’re tracking all of this year’s player option decisions right here.
Lakers can make a better offer than Nuggets
Reaves and Rui enjoy playing for Lakers, pay cut, pay cut
Neither will accept a pay cut. Reaves intends to sign whatever gets him the most money, while Rui wants market value and a good role. Stop with this nonsense.
Lakers should pursue him, though. He’d be great addition, but they won’t be underpaying Reaves or Rui.
Can anyone give me an example in the last decade where a player took less than what they were worth for a shot at contention?
Bobby Portis was in precisely the same situation as Brown a couple years ago, and stayed. He signed the 1-and-1 deal with the Bucks so that they could get his Early Bird rights. I expect Brown will do the same. Max he can get with the Nuggets (which they will definitely wink-wink “offer”) is about the non-taxpayer MLE, or about $12m on average over four years. So a team’s gonna have to beat that for him to leave. So we’re talking a team with cap room. Not gonna happen I don’t think.
They don’t even have the non tax payer Seam
They have 120% over last years salary which is 6.8…that’s the most he can make next year with DEN
You are 100% correct on the rest of the post tho with the Bobby P /wink wink /1+1 ect
They have to fear that MLE 12 mill x 4 offers that many teams can make today. I {think} he stays but it does take a certain level of faith getting to early bird
pay cut….yea. everyone who joins his precious Lakers should take a pay cut.
News
LeBron is now attempting to recruit Green to Lakers
You just knew that Draymond Green would make headlines after he was spotted in France with LeBron James. Naturally, the reaction of fans is that LeBron is now attempting to recruit Green to the Los Angeles Lakers after the former Defensive Player of the Year decided to decline his $27.5 million player option with the Golden State Warriors for next season.
Probably the top 12.2M mid-level candidate on the market.
Pacers/Spurs are also a great fit using cap space to sign for 15M per
Bruce is at the point in his career where playing for a coach that can get your most meaningful play with the most impact it can make is more important than money.
He is clearly thriving in Denver. And has built up a nice cache for himself.
Going somewhere else means not only does he have to start all over, but be the leader on a team that will be percieved to be in a championship window with his addition.
2 years 20 million sounds about right.
If you get to the second paragraph it will tell you the most he can play for next year in Den is 7.8
Resign him Denver. Who else do you need to sign.
Wonder if they’d consider moving MPJ or if he’s even moveable.