Zeke Nnaji has spent more time in Denver than Aaron Gordon, and that alone says plenty about where this has gone. The Nuggets have invested in him, and because his deal is so team-friendly, he’s probably not going anywhere soon. That makes the preseason a simple opportunity: see whether there’s anything left to uncover.
The clock has been running on Nnaji since the Nuggets took him with the 22nd pick in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft. He never cracked the rotation as a 20-year-old rookie, and six years later, he still hasn’t established himself there.
Denver gave him a four-year, $32 million extension before the 2023-24 season, and that contract has turned into a problem. He has two years left, both player options, at $7.46 million apiece, and the deal is part of why the Nuggets are still above the NBA’s second apron luxury tax penalty threshold.
They’re the only team over it.
That contract may have mattered in the Peyton Watson trade conversations, too, at least according to Tomer Azarly on the latest edition of the Third Apron Podcast. Azarly said the rumored teams interested in Watson were the Cleveland Cavaliers, who ultimately got the deal done, the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Milwaukee Bucks. He described including Nnaji in the deal as a "non-starter," which only reinforces the likelihood that he’s headed into his seventh season in Denver.
So what can the Nuggets actually learn from him now? That’s the question they should be asking when training camp opens in a few weeks.
Nnaji has shown he can handle work in the post, and he has enough quickness to stay with a wing. When Nikola Jokic missed 16 games last January, Nnaji got a longer look and flashed a little something in a handful of those outings.
His strongest performance came in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers, a game Denver won despite being without all five starters and Tim Hardaway Jr. Nnaji went 7 of 11 from the field, knocked down 4 of 5 from deep, and finished with 21 points in 32 minutes off the bench. He also grabbed a team-high 8 rebounds and added two steals and two blocks against a Philadelphia team that was at full strength.
That was the first of four double-digit scoring games for him. But once Jokic was back a couple of weeks later, Nnaji was pushed right back into garbage-time duty.
That’s why this preseason matters. Denver has nothing to lose by finding out whether the offseason work Nnaji has been putting in has actually moved the needle.
If he shows he can handle more, there’s at least a path to real bench minutes on a roster that doesn’t have much depth to spare. It’s a long shot, but it’s worth the look.
In Other News...
Nuggets Wing Addition Just Put Real Pressure On Denvers Rotation
The Nuggets have added another name to the wing mix, and it comes with a bit more intrigue than usual. Denver signed DeMar DeRozan to a one-year veterans minimum deal to help fill out the rotation on the perimeter, and then officially brought in Lonnie Walker IV after he exited his contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv, giving the team another look at a player who has been on NBA radar for a while.
Walkers path to Denver is still far from settled, though, and that is what makes this one worth watching as camp approaches. His agreement is only a training camp invite with no guaranteed money, so he will have to earn his way onto the roster in a crowded battle for minutes and a final spot. For a Nuggets team trying to balance established production with depth on the wing, the next few weeks should tell a lot about how serious this addition really is. [Read more 🡒]
Nikola Jokic Sounds Fed Up As Nuggets Face A Delicate Spotlight Issue
The Nuggets spent the offseason operating under financial restrictions that shaped how they could build out the roster, another reminder of how thin the margin can be for a team trying to stay in contention around Nikola Jokic. On top of that, the franchise is dealing with the usual pressure that comes with any star in a contract year, even as reports continue to indicate Jokic wants to stay in Denver.
What makes the situation a little more delicate is the spotlight itself. Jokic has made it clear he is increasingly uncomfortable with the public side of being one of the leagues biggest names, and that tension adds a quieter layer to a season already carrying plenty of attention. Teams around the league are watching his contract situation closely, but for the Nuggets, the more immediate concern is keeping their cornerstone content while the noise keeps building around him. [Read more 🡒]
Nikola Jokic Just Gave Nuggets Fans A Rarely Seen Frustration
Nikola Jokic has spent years being one of the NBAs most recognizable stars, but he sounded far more interested in drawing a line around his off-court life than soaking up the spotlight. In a recent interview, the Nuggets center talked openly about how the attention can wear on him, saying he is not as eager as he once was to stop for fans and that he is trying to protect his own time away from the game.
Jokic also turned the conversation back to basketball, where the challenge still comes from the quality of the league as much as from any one opponent. He discussed the defenders who make his nights difficult and noted how many good big men and versatile bodies there are to deal with, a reminder that even for a player with his rsum, the nightly grind never really lets up. [Read more 🡒]