The Denver Nuggets are closing in on the 2026-27 season, and for a few players on the roster, this could be a make-or-break year in Denver.
That’s the reality when a team is navigating a tight financial picture. Contracts, role players, and roster flexibility all start to matter in a different way, and a handful of Nuggets could be staring at uncertain futures by the time this season ends.
One name to watch is veteran wing Johnson. His name has come up in trade rumors all summer, though the Nuggets have held firm that they are not planning to move him. Even so, his $23 expiring contract makes the long-term picture cloudy.
Denver clearly values Johnson, but the team’s payroll situation leaves little room for comfort. This offseason has already shown how quickly those financial pressures can lead to losing free agents, and Johnson could wind up in that same conversation.
If the Nuggets don’t intend to bring him back on a new deal next summer, moving him before the deadline would make sense. Otherwise, Denver could face the choice of pushing deeper into the second apron or watching an unrestricted free agent leave for nothing.
Zeke Nnaji is in a different spot, but the end result could be similar. His contract situation gives him a player option worth $7.4 million that can push his free agency to 2028, and he would most likely take it. Still, his $7.4 million salary could be easier to move if Denver decides to use it as an expiring contract.
That number matters because Nnaji has been more of a fringe rotation piece than a major contributor, and in a salary-cap crunch, deals like that become hard to justify. If the Nuggets are still dealing with second-apron concerns, seeing Nnaji on the roster for 2027-28 would be a surprise.
Julian Strawther may be headed for the biggest opportunity of the bunch. He’s entering a contract year in his fourth NBA season, and there could be real room for him to carve out a bigger role on Denver’s bench. If things break right, Strawther could push himself into a seventh- or eighth-man spot.
He logged 861 total minutes last season, and that number should climb. The question is what happens if he plays well enough to matter. If the Nuggets are still stuck in the second apron next summer, keeping him long-term would not be a sure thing, especially if the price climbs once he reaches restricted free agency in 2027.
Then there’s Holmes, whose first two NBA seasons have not gone smoothly. His rookie year was derailed by a season-ending Achilles injury, and his 2025-26 season was steady but limited: 25 games, eight minutes a night, 3.7 points, and 1.4 rebounds.
Now in the third year of his rookie deal, Holmes is approaching a key decision point. Denver will have to weigh a fourth-year team option next summer worth $5.5 million, and if he still hasn’t locked down a consistent rotation role, the Nuggets could look at declining it as a way to trim money from the books.
For Holmes, this season may end up defining not just his future in Denver, but his place in the NBA.
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The NBAs punishment of the Clippers for salary cap violations tied to Kawhi Leonard changes that calculus in a big way. With the league stripping Los Angeles of five first-round picks from 2029 through 2033 and suspending key executives, the franchises ability to build toward a star pursuit has taken a severe hit, and the idea of the Clippers as a future Jokic destination has effectively gone out the window. [Read more 🡒]
Former Nuggets Title Piece Is Suddenly In Lakers Rumors
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One of the cleaner ideas floating around league circles is a path that would clear salary and allow the Lakers to add help on the wing, with several moves tied together rather than a single swap. For Denver, the interesting part is the veteran free agent angle attached to the discussion, because it points back to a former title piece who could again be on the move as the Lakers try to solve both their short-term rotation and long-term cap sheet. [Read more 🡒]
Cameron Johnson May Decide How Dangerous Denvers New Offense Really Is
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Johnsons shooting profile is what makes this so interesting, especially with DeRozan now in the mix as a creator who can bend defenses and open lanes for others. If Johnson is healthy and stays in rhythm, the combination could give Denver a much more functional offensive balance than it has had at times, with the threat of his jumper forcing opponents to make harder choices every possession. [Read more 🡒]