The Denver Nuggets don’t have much room to breathe under the NBA’s current salary structure, but a small shift in the league’s 2027-28 projections could help ease the squeeze.
Right now, Denver is operating in a tight financial vise. The team sits $3.15 million above the second-apron line of $221.6 million for the 2026-27 season, even after trading Peyton Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers and waiving backup center Jonas Valanciunas to clear $8 million. That kind of position has left the Nuggets limited to minimum deals for veterans and rookies, including second-round pick Trevon Brazile.
Still, there’s at least a little bit of encouraging news coming out of the league’s projection process. Fred Katz of The Athletic reported that the salary cap estimate for 2027-28 has risen by $2 million from the league’s previous forecast.
@TheAthletic:
• $176 million salary cap
• $213 million luxury tax line
The new projection comes in $2 million higher than the league’s last one.
That matters for Denver because every bump in the cap ripples through the apron numbers as well. Under the latest estimates, the second apron would land around $236.5 million in 2027-28, roughly $14.8 million above where it sits for 2026-27.
The catch is that the Nuggets’ own payroll is climbing too. They already have seven players under contract for 2027-28: Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon, Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Spencer Jones, Zeke Nnaji, and DaRon Holmes II. Those salaries are set to rise by $13.8 million, and the total already checks in at just over $195 million.
That leaves Denver in a familiar spot: over the cap and still hunting for ways to create flexibility. Nnaji remains a possible piece to sort out this season, and if the Nuggets can’t get back under the second apron, he could be a candidate to be cut and stretched, similar to what they did with Valanciunas. Holmes also has a $5.5 million team option that the Nuggets will likely decline, which would open up more room.
If that happens, Denver would be looking at about $184 million on the books with only five players under contract. That would put the Nuggets well below the penalty aprons and in a much better position to pursue free agents. Holmes and Nnaji have been part of what clogged the team’s wiggle room this offseason.
It still wouldn’t be perfect, but a higher cap projection gives the Nuggets some needed relief - and in their situation, every million counts.
In Other News...
Nuggets Cap Crunch Could Force A Decision Fans Never Expected
The Nuggets have spent the offseason confronting a financial squeeze that could reshape the roster around Nikola Jokic, a reality that already forced the club to move on from Peyton Watson because of cost concerns. It is the kind of cap pressure that can reach beyond the margins, especially for a team that has been built around a championship core and now has to weigh every expensive decision with an eye on the balance sheet.
Jokics future has already become part of the conversation, and the uncertainty only adds to the tension surrounding Denvers long-term plans. If the money problem keeps tightening, the front office may have to consider options few fans would have imagined for a team this close to contention, including the possibility of moving a core guard who has been central to everything the Nuggets have done in recent years. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Still Have One Big Problem Behind Jamal Murray
Denvers playoff problems were hard to ignore, especially when Jamal Murray got pressured and the offense started to lose its shape. The Nuggets have already tried to address that issue by bringing back Tyus Jones, a move aimed at stabilizing the second unit and giving the team another steady hand with the ball, but the roster still looks like it could use more help in that area.
One name that has surfaced is Cam Whitmore, though the way Denver views him is more about adding depth than solving the backup-point-guard question. That is where the fit becomes tricky, because the Nuggets still seem to be searching for someone who can truly ease the burden when Murray is hounded, and the need for another reliable playmaker behind him remains one of the rosters clearest unfinished items. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Fans Should Watch Where This Former First Rounder Lands Next
The Nuggets are heading into the upcoming season with the kind of roster crunch that always makes the margins feel bigger than the names. Denver has already kept its core intact around Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon, while also bringing back Spencer Jones, a move that helps preserve depth but does little to ease the financial pressure hanging over the roster.
That pressure is part of why every extra wing or scoring option matters, and why Denver is expected to keep looking around even with training camp still on the horizon. One former first-round pick who suddenly fits that conversation has already become available, and the Nuggets have at least shown they are paying attention as they weigh how much more they can realistically add. [Read more 🡒]