The Nuggets have two issues hanging over their roster, and one trade idea could clean up both at once: add another guard and get under the second-apron luxury tax line.
The target in this scenario is Memphis point guard Scotty Pippen Jr., with Denver sending out Zeke Nnaji and two second-round picks to make it happen. The Grizzlies are sitting with 19 players on the roster, four above the 15-player limit, and they have enough point guard depth and cap space to absorb extra salary. In other words, they look like a natural trade partner if they’re willing to move Pippen.
The proposed deal is simple:
Nuggets receive: Scotty Pippen Jr.
Grizzlies receive: Zeke Nnaji, the Nuggets’ 2028 2nd round pick from the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Nuggets’ 2031 second-round pick from the Sacramento Kings.
Denver would be giving up some draft capital it just picked up this offseason, but that’s the cost of doing business when the goal is trimming salary. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the Nuggets are currently $3.15 million over the second apron. Pippen is set to make $2.46 million this season, while Nnaji is on the books for $7.46 million, so the math gets Denver under that threshold with room to spare.
There’s also the basketball side of it. Pippen gives the Nuggets another guard option, while Nnaji may not have a real path into the rotation for a seventh straight year.
Pippen’s 2025-26 season was interrupted by injuries, but in the 10 games he played, he put up 11.4 points and 4.7 assists per game and added strong defense with 1.9 steals. He brings real pressure at the point of attack and is averaging 1.4 steals through his four-year NBA career.
Tyus Jones remains the current answer for Denver’s backup point guard spot, and his calling card is elite ball control. But Pippen would give the Nuggets something different: a choice between control with Jones or a guard who brings more offense and defense. And with Denver already deep at forward, Nnaji’s roster spot is harder to justify.
The Nuggets need to get on the phone with the Grizzlies and see if there’s a deal to be made. Memphis has roster decisions coming anyway, and on paper, this one lines up cleanly for both sides.
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