Nuggets Rumors

2023 NBA Offseason Preview: Denver Nuggets

June 21st, 2023 at 8:01am CST by Luke Adams

After winning at least one playoff series for three consecutive years from 2019-21, the Nuggets were eliminated in the first round of the 2022 postseason in just five games. They subsequently opened the 2022 offseason by losing their longtime president of basketball operations, Tim Connelly, to the division-rival Timberwolves.

While it may have looked from the outside like the Nuggets were facing an identity crisis, there was no panic within the organization. Connelly’s top lieutenant, Calvin Booth, was promoted to run the front office, and he opted not to make any drastic changes to the roster, betting that a few tweaks – along with the anticipated returns of injured starters Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. – would be enough to make Denver a legitimate title threat.

After signing Bruce Brown in free agency and trading guards Monte Morris and Will Barton to Washington for a package headlined by three-and-D wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the Nuggets got off to a strong start last fall and maintained their pace for months, holding the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference from December 20 until the end of the regular season.

Denver faltered just once, losing 10 of its last 17 games entering the postseason, which raised some concerns about whether the team was prepared to make a deep playoff run. But the Nuggets quickly silenced any doubts, winning 16 of their next 20 games and capping a dream season with the first championship in franchise history.

While Booth won’t be able to rest on his laurels this summer following an unimpeachable first year on the job, he’s the only NBA general manager who will be entering the offseason looking to keep a championship team intact rather than seeking ways to upgrade a roster that fell short of that goal.

The Nuggets’ Offseason Plan

The same group of players that wins a championship one year is hardly guaranteed to win another the following season, but it still has to be encouraging for Booth and the front office that nearly the entire core of the 2022/23 Nuggets remains under contract for next season.

Nikola Jokic, Murray, Porter, Aaron Gordon, and Caldwell-Pope, each of whom started all 20 playoff games for Denver and averaged at least 32 minutes apiece, have guaranteed contracts for next season, with all but Caldwell-Pope under team control for multiple years (KCP has a 2024/25 player option).

With that foundation in place – and up-and-coming role players like Christian Braun and Peyton Watson locked up for several more seasons – the Nuggets can focus this summer on their supporting cast, starting with Brown, a jack-of-all-trades who was the club’s most-used reserve in the postseason.

Because Denver got such a bargain on Brown’s contract a year ago, the team will be limited in its ability to give him a raise for 2023/24, assuming the veteran guard declines his $6.8MM player option. The Nuggets will hold his Non-Bird rights, allowing them to offer up to 120% of his $6.48MM salary from this past season.

Brown will almost certainly get offers that feature a starting salary higher than the $7.77MM Denver can give him, but that doesn’t mean he’s a lock to sign elsewhere. The 26-year-old spoke in the wake of the Nuggets’ title win about his desire to remain with the team, suggesting that “money isn’t everything.”

And as we noted at the time, there’s a precedent for a player with Non-Bird rights accepting a below-market deal from a team he won a title with, then getting a raise on a long-term deal the following year when he has Early Bird rights. Bobby Portis took this route with the Bucks after the team’s 2021 championship.

If the Nuggets bring back Brown on a Non-Bird contract, it would push the team’s guaranteed salaries close to $171MM for 10 players, which would – barring a cost-cutting move – make it nearly impossible to use the full taxpayer mid-level exception ($5MM) and stay below the projected second tax apron ($179.5MM), since they’ll need to carry at least 14 players.

If Brown departs in free agency, that taxpayer MLE would be in play. It wouldn’t necessarily need to be used on someone who will assume Brown’s exact role, since the Nuggets are reportedly confident in Braun’s and Watson’s ability to play more backcourt minutes next season. If they have the MLE available, the Nuggets could look to add depth at virtually any position, including backup center.

Among the team’s unrestricted free agents, Thomas Bryant and Reggie Jackson didn’t play major roles after being acquired in February and may not be great bets to return. However, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the team makes an effort to bring back Jeff Green and/or Ish Smith.

Green, in particular, was part of the postseason rotation and has spoken about wanting to finish his career in Denver. And it seems safe to assume Smith would rather stick with the defending champions than join the 14th NBA team of his career if the Nuggets are willing to bring him back.

The Nuggets, having already agreed to a trade with the Thunder earlier this month, will also control a pair of second-round picks at No. 37 and No. 40, which should be used to help fill out next season’s roster in some form or another.

There have been rumblings that Denver is looking into the possibility of trading into the first round, using some combination of this year’s second-rounders and a future first-rounder. If that doesn’t happen, it’s not the end of the world — there will still be solid prospects available in the 37-40 range, and those players would cost less toward the Nuggets’ 2023/24 tax bill than minimum-salary veterans or a first-round rookie would.

With few changes expected to Denver’s roster this summer, the club’s most significant offseason move could be signing Murray to an extension, since he’ll be eligible for a new deal as of July 24. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the two sides decide to put that off for another year though. Murray remains under contract for two more seasons and could qualify for a super-max extension if he makes an All-NBA team in either of those two years.

Salary Cap Situation

Guaranteed Salary

Nikola Jokic ($46,900,000)
- Note: Jokic’s salary will be 35% of the 2023/24 salary cap. This is a projection based on a $134MM cap.
Jamal Murray ($33,833,400)
Michael Porter Jr. ($33,386,850)
Aaron Gordon ($22,266,182)
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($14,704,938)
Zeke Nnaji ($4,306,281)
Christian Braun ($2,949,120)
Peyton Watson ($2,303,520)
Vlatko Cancar ($2,234,359)
Total: $162,884,650

Dead/Retained Salary

None

Player Options

Bruce Brown ($6,802,950): Non-Bird rights
Total: $6,802,950

Team Options

None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

None

Restricted Free Agents

None

Two-Way Free Agents

Collin Gillespie: Non-Bird rights
Jack White: Non-Bird rights

Draft Picks

No. 37 overall pick (no cap hold)
No. 40 overall pick (no cap hold)

Extension-Eligible Players

Jamal Murray (veteran)
Zeke Nnaji (rookie scale)

Note: These are players who are either already eligible for an extension or will become eligible before the 2023/24 season begins.

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Ish Smith ($6,142,500 cap hold): Early Bird rights
Jeff Green ($5,850,000 cap hold): Early Bird rights
Thomas Bryant ($1,989,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
Reggie Jackson ($1,989,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
DeAndre Jordan ($1,989,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
DeMarcus Cousins ($1,989,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
Troy Daniels ($1,989,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
Richard Jefferson ($1,989,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
Markus Howard ($1,774,999 cap hold): Early Bird rights
Total: $25,705,687

Note: The cap holds for the players listed in italics remain on the Nuggets’ books from prior seasons because they haven’t been renounced. They can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.

Cap Exceptions Available

Taxpayer mid-level exception: $5,000,000
Trade exception: $9,125,000
- Note: Expires on July 6.
Trade exception: $3,475,000
- Note: Expires on June 23.
Trade exception: $2,201,520
Trade exception: $1,902,133
Trade exception: $370,297
- Note: Expires on July 6.

Note: The Nuggets would lose the taxpayer mid-level exception if their team salary is above the second tax apron; they would gain access to the full mid-level exception and the bi-annual exception if their team salary remains below both tax aprons.

Draft Notes: Nuggets, Appleby, Wembanyama, Tshiebwe, Dick, Clippers

June 19th, 2023 at 10:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nuggets agreed to a draft-pick trade with the Thunder during the Finals, acquiring this year’s No. 37 selection, the least favorable of the Thunder’s 2024 first-round picks, and a 2024 second-rounder in exchange for a 2029 first-round pick. They are continuing to look to add a first-round pick in this year’s draft, Mike Singer of the Denver Post tweets, using the 2024 first-round pick they received from Oklahoma City as bait.

With salary-cap concerns, Denver is trying to add low-cost options to round out its bench as it pursues a repeat. In another draft-related development, the Nuggets will work out Wake Forest point guard Tyree Appleby on Tuesday, Singer reports in another tweet.

We have more updates with the draft approaching on Thursday:

Victor Wembanyama, a mortal lock to be the first player off the board, has arrived in the United States from France, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press reports. He flew into Newark (N.J.) Airport on Monday. Wembanyama has a scheduled pre-draft media session on Wednesday before the Spurs officially secure his services on Thursday night.
Kentucky star forward Oscar Tshiebwe has been one of the busiest prospects over the past month. He’s finishing up his workout schedule by visiting the Cavaliers and Celtics, Adam Zagoria tweets. Tshiebwe’s visit with Boston’s brass will be his second there. He has worked out for approximately half the teams in the league.
Kansas wing Gradey Dick, who is projected to go in the second half in the lottery, told The Athletic’s Shams Charania that he will be a team player wherever he winds up (Twitter link). “I’m going to go into any organization, any city, and really just buy into the team. I’m the type of player where I honestly don’t care what my role is,” Dick said.
The Clippers’ staff had a busy Monday, evaluating 10 prospects in two separate workouts, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times tweets. The visitors included Tyger Campbell (UCLA), Mouhamed Gueye (Washington State) Seth Lundy (Penn State), Nathan Mensah (San Diego State), Mike Miles (TCU), Omari Moore, (San Jose State), Julian Phillips (Tennessee), Ben Sheppard (Belmont), Grant Sherfield (Oklahoma) and Jordan Walsh (Arkansas).

Malone Reflects On Journey; Players Celebrate Title At Parade

June 17th, 2023 at 8:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe profiles the journey of Nuggets coach Michael Malone from being fired in Sacramento to building an NBA champion in Denver. The son of former NBA coach Brendan Malone spent 20 years in the league before winning his first title. “To get to this point, to win a championship is just, as you reflect upon all the people who helped you get here,” Malone said. “This is like a many, many years-long process, and you don’t do it by yourself.”
The Nuggets were thrilled to celebrate with their fans at Thursday’s victory parade as most of the players are first-time champions, per Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Jamal Murray was focused on enjoying the experience rather than recording it for posterity. “The best part of the day was just being present,” he said. “It wasn’t about taking videos. It was just about being in the moment, appreciating the fans. … They give me energy, they give me life during the game, so I can only thank them so much.”

Northwest Notes: Brown, Moran, Jazz, Thunder

June 15th, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

It appears that momentum may be building toward Nuggets swingman Bruce Brown remaining with the champs at least a bit longer, per Mike Singer of The Denver Post (Twitter link). During Denver’s championship parade on Thursday, Brown alluded to his impending free agency in addressing a crowd of Nuggets faithful, with the team’s front office and coaching staff on hand.

“[I’ve] got a question for you,” Brown told the gathered fanbase. “One question: one more year?”

Brown could become a free agent this summer by declining his 2023/24 player option, and if he did he could be in line for a significant raise, potentially even doubling his $6.8MM option salary. However, Denver’s ability to offer him a raise is limited due to cap restraints. Following the Nuggets’ championship-clinching victory on Monday, the 6’4″ veteran expressed a desire to remain with the team, telling reporters that “money isn’t everything.”

There’s more out of the Northwest Division:

The still-unnamed new G League affiliate of the Trail Blazers has found its head coach. A Portland press release reveals that Jim Moran, who most recently served as an assistant coach for Dwane Casey on the Pistons from 2021-23, will lead the new club. Moran had also worked in various capacities with Portland from 2014-21.
The Jazz have a wealth of intriguing options they could choose from with the ninth pick in the 2023 draft. Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune takes a look at players the team should consider — and, conversely, which players the club should avoid. Larsen opines that shooting ability, an aptitude for full court offense, and basic defensive competency are the three key traits Utah should prioritize. In terms of likely selections that could still be available in the Jazz’s range, Larsen is dubious about the shooting skills of Arkansas guard Anthony Black, but like the shooting and defense of Central Florida forward Taylor Hendricks. He appreciates the floor vision of Indiana wing Jalen Hood-Schifino. He also examines a few other possible prospects.
The Thunder once again have a late lottery pick at their disposal this season. Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman identifies several guards the club could consider with its No. 12 selection, including Arkansas guard Nick Smith Jr. and 2022/23 All-Big Ten Michigan guard Kobe Bufkin.

Nuggets Notes: Jokic, Booth, Veteran Players

June 15th, 2023 at 10:02am CST by Arthur Hill

In an interview with Malika Andrews of ESPN (video link), Finals MVP Nikola Jokic talks about the benefits of spending his career with one head coach and the stability of being alongside Jamal Murray for so long. The Nuggets drafted Jokic in 2014, and he joined the team a year later. They hired Michael Malone as their coach in 2015 and drafted Murray in 2016.

“I really trust those guys,” Jokic said. “I think that’s how the winning is done. Jamal was injured. He thought he was going to get traded. He was playing bad. This and that, media talking about him. … He proved to himself that he can lead a championship team.”

Jokic added that he’s looking forward to returning to Serbia to celebrate with his close friends and family after Thursday’s victory parade. He also endorsed Malone’s declaration that Denver can win more titles with its current core and said there’s room for him to improve after reaching the top of the league.

“I think I can be much better, but you still need to sacrifice yourself,” Jokic said. “Basketball is not the main thing in my life. It’s something that I’m good at.”

There’s more from Denver:

Jokic is the historical heir to Tim Duncan as an unassuming superstar capable of leading his team to multiple championships, observes David Aldridge of The Athletic. Both are highly skilled in the fundamentals of the game, Aldridge notes, and they can envision plays before they happen.
Amid the championship celebration Monday night, general manager Calvin Booth was already thinking about how to sustain the Nuggets’ success, per Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Denver is over the salary cap for next season, so Booth’s options will be limited, but he’s reportedly trying to use one of the team’s 2024 first-rounders to trade up in this year’s draft. “We gotta give ourselves a chance to be in the Finals every year,” he said. “If we’re in the Finals, we have a chance. I don’t expect us to win it every time, but we gotta try to get here.”
Being a champion is especially sweet for four veteran players who have spent years bouncing around the league while hoping to win a ring, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Reggie Jackson embraced Jeff Green, DeAndre Jordan and Ish Smith as the final seconds ticked off the clock in Game 5. “It hit me at the end of the game,” Smith said. “I don’t know why I just got emotional, but this is gratifying, man. This is great. I’m so happy for the city. Denver, our teammates, man, we all got a story. So it’s been a blessing.”

World Cup Notes: Jokic, Adebayo, VanVleet, Murray, Kessler, Powell, Simmons

June 14th, 2023 at 9:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

After winning his first NBA title, Nikola Jokic isn’t a certainty to represent Serbia this summer in the FIBA World Cup, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Vardon hears from an international source that Jokic has a family celebration scheduled during World Cup play, which will take place from August 25 through September 10, leaving his playing status unclear.

Vardon adds that Serbia received a favorable draw in the tournament and appears to have a relatively easy path to a quarterfinals matchup with Team USA. Jokic was part of the team that defeated the Americans in the 2019 World Cup.

Vardon also questions whether Jokic will want to commit to another intense competition after a long NBA season and a two-month playoff run with the Nuggets. The tournament will end roughly two weeks before the traditional start of NBA training camps.

There’s more World Cup news to pass along:

Bam Adebayo may also need a break after helping the Heat reach the NBA Finals, Vardon adds. Adebayo played for Team USA two years ago and is expected to be part of the 2024 Olympics squad, so he may consider opting out this summer.
Team USA reached out to Raptors guard Fred VanVleet to see if he’s interested in joining them for the World Cup, a source tells Vardon. The veteran free agent has never taken part in a World Cup or Olympics competition.
Nuggets guard Jamal Murray made a three-year commitment to Team Canada, but his long postseason run and his injury history may put his World Cup status in doubt, according to Vardon.
Jazz center Walker Kessler has agreed to join the Americans in the World Cup, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The first-team All-Rookie selection was originally asked to be part of the Select Team that will scrimmage against Team USA, but he received a promotion, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Mavericks big man Dwight Powell is optimistic about Canada’s chances in the tournament, per Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. With 22 players on NBA rosters at the start of the season, Canada has a rich talent pool available. “Gold medal,” Powell replied when asked what would constitute a successful tournament. “That’s always the goal. (However), the World Cup is a stacked tournament. We got to be ready for everybody.”
The deadline to submit World Cup rosters is in late August, and the Australians are willing to wait as long as it takes to see if the Nets‘ Ben Simmons is available, according to a NetsDaily story. Simmons is working out with teammates in Miami and trying to overcome the nerve impingement that ended his season in mid-February.

Timberwolves Notes: Towns, Gobert, Christon

June 14th, 2023 at 7:35pm CST by Arthur Hill

Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns addressed trade speculation during an appearance on a podcast with former teammate Patrick Beverley.

“Future-wise, I see everyone is trying to sell my house but me,” Towns joked, which Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic explained is a reference to an erroneous report that Towns put his home on the market (Twitter link).

“I’m gonna keep it simple like this,” Towns added. “The rumors are as true or as false as Minnesota makes them to be.”

Trade rumors regarding Towns stem from his super-max extension, which will begin in the 2024/25 season. The deal has an estimated value of $224MM over four years and will place a financial strain on a team that has already committed big money to Rudy Gobert over the next three seasons and will likely be giving a hefty extension to Anthony Edwards this summer.

A recent story by Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report states that many rival executives believe Minnesota will trade Towns before the extension kicks in, with some speculating that the team will “jump at an opportunity” if one arises in the next few weeks.

There’s more on the Timberwolves:

Towns also told Beverley that when he retires, “There’s gonna be people who are gonna say that I changed the game,” referring to his unique outside shooting ability for a big man. That prompted a Twitter response from Warriors forward Draymond Green, who wrote, “Aye @patbev21, when people come on yo show they change the game!!l?!? I’m looking forward to it man.”
Gobert sent out a tweet congratulating the Nuggets after they wrapped up their first championship Monday night, but some people are interpreting it as a slight to the Jazz, per Chris Hine of The Star-Tribune. “Happy for the Nuggets, beautiful Team basketball all year around,” Gobert wrote. “Failed over and over in the previous years, didn’t quit on their guys. And Nikola Jokic will finally get the respect he deserves!” Utah traded away Gobert and Donovan Mitchell last summer after several years of its own playoff frustration.
Former Thunder player Semaj Christon has parted ways with his European team and will join Minnesota for an upcoming free agent mini-camp, according to Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops. The 30-year-old point guard averaged 15.7 PPG this season with Derthona Basket in Italy. He played 64 games for Oklahoma City during the 2016/17 season.

Nuggets Notes: Murray, Irving, Smith, Williams, Braun, Watson, Anunoby

June 13th, 2023 at 9:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nuggets’ path to the championship was a testament to perseverance and patience. They didn’t panic when they fell short in previous postseasons, nor did they feel the need to replace coach Michael Malone. They were rewarded this season but there was some measure of luck involved. ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Insider link) offers some sourced nuggets on the Nuggets, sharing details about the steps along the way to the first title in franchise history. Here are some of the highlights from Lowe’s story:

The Nuggets never seriously considered trading Jamal Murray as he rehabbed from his ACL injury but former executive Tim Connelly approached Malone five or six years ago to say that Murray could be moved for a high-profile veteran player or two. Kyrie Irving, who requested a trade from the Cavaliers during the 2017 offseason, was one of the players Denver considered acquiring in a Murray deal, but the team ultimately decided against pursuing Irving.
The Nuggets had an opportunity to move journeyman point guard Ish Smith prior to this season’s trade deadline, but coaches and players lobbied the front office to keep him. Smith didn’t play much but he proved to be a powerful influence behind the scenes, including mimicking the Heat’s playbook as part of Denver’s scout team at Finals practices.
General manager Calvin Booth considered trading up to the No. 10 spot — held by the Wizards — in last year’s draft with the idea of selecting Jalen Williams. The Nuggets also considered moving up later in the lottery to nab Christian Braun, even though he was projected as a late first-rounder. They got him anyway at No. 21. They were also concerned that the Warriors would take Peyton Watson with the No. 28 pick. Golden State passed on Watson and Denver grabbed him at No. 30.
In one of the few mistakes they made, the Nuggets traded down from No. 13 to No. 24 in the 2017 draft — the 13th pick turned out to be Donovan Mitchell. Denver had considered taking OG Anunoby at that spot but felt he was a reach at that point in the draft. Anunoby came off the board at No. 23 and the Nuggets wound up with long-forgotten Tyler Lydon with the next pick.

Nuggets Notes: Championship, Porter, Gordon, Booth

June 13th, 2023 at 9:25am CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets‘ championship victory on Monday represented a major financial boon for a pair of the team’s forwards.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, the final year of Michael Porter Jr.‘s five-year contract with the Nuggets is now fully guaranteed. Previously, only $12MM of Porter’s $40.8MM cap hit for 2026/27 had been guaranteed, but since Porter appeared in at least 62 games (plus 75% of Denver’s playoff contests) and the club won a title, he’s assured of the full $40.8MM.

Meanwhile, Aaron Gordon earned a $1MM bonus as a result of the championship, Marks tweets. That will bump Gordon’s cap charge for 2023/24 from $21.2MM to $22.2MM, since that $1MM incentive will now be considered “likely” (rather than unlikely) for next season. However, the Nuggets wouldn’t be on the hook for that bonus money next season unless they win another title.

Here’s more on the NBA’s new champions:

Porter averaged just 9.6 points per game on .328/.143/.750 shooting in five NBA Finals games, but his performance showed that he’s capable of contributing in other ways, which bodes well for his future development, writes Nick Kosmider of The Athletic. Porter grabbed 13 rebounds in Game 1 and again in Game 5, matching his season high.
After playing a major part in helping the Nuggets secure the first title in franchise history, star guard Jamal Murray said on Monday that he believes the club is capable of winning more championships with this core. “I knew once we were healthy, we could do it,” Murray, who missed all of the 2021/22 season due to a torn ACL, told Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “So this was long overdue. … I think this is the first of many.”
Sam Amick and Tony Jones of The Athletic take a look at all the moves and decisions that led to Denver’s first championship, including the promotion of assistant GM Calvin Booth after the departure of veteran executive Tim Connelly in 2022. “When Tim left, I remember talking to (Nuggets governor) Josh (Kroenke), and saying, ‘Listen, this is your call, Josh, but what I’m telling you as a head coach who has been here for seven years, we’re heading in the right direction, I really hope that Calvin Booth is given the opportunity to take over,'” Michael Malone told The Athletic. “I said, ‘I know him, he knows me. He knows our players. He knows you.’ (Booth) did a great job of taking all that and saying, ‘OK, we’re in a good spot. But how do we go from good to great? How do we make this even better?’ And Calvin had the balls to do that, man.”
Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype and Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) preview the roster and contract issues facing the Nuggets this offseason, including Bruce Brown‘s potential free agency and Jamal Murray’s extension eligibility. In case you missed it, Brown expressed a desire to remain in Denver following Monday’s victory.

Bruce Brown: “I Want To Stay” With Nuggets

June 13th, 2023 at 8:17am CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of the Nuggets‘ championship-clinching victory on Monday, Bruce Brown‘s teammates were effusive in their praise of the versatile guard, predicting a significant payday for the 26-year-old this summer in free agency. However, Brown told Mike Singer of The Denver Post (subscription required) that he won’t necessarily accept the biggest offer he gets on the open market.

“I want to stay,” Brown said. “… It’s a perfect fit. And money is not everything. The money will come. So I’m not worried about that right now.”

Brown, who signed a two-year contract with the Nuggets last offseason, holds a $6.8MM player option for 2023/24. If he turns down that option, Denver would only hold his Non-Bird rights and would be limited to offering him a starting salary of $7.8MM — that figure represents a 20% raise off his current $6.5MM salary.

The Nuggets could theoretically use the mid-level exception to offer up to $12.2MM, but they’re extremely unlikely to have the full MLE available since their team salary projects to be over the luxury tax line. ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link) expects rival suitors to be willing to offer at least the MLE amount of $12.2MM, and possibly more than that. Brown’s teammates are also forecasting a substantial raise based on his play in the regular season and postseason.

“Bruce has been huge for us all playoffs,” Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. said after Monday’s win. “We’re excited for him because he’s going to get paid. He’s going to get paid. … We just kept telling him be aggressive, even though his first half didn’t go amazing making shots-wise. He hit that big bucket down the stretch, made those two free throws. He was amazing for us all playoffs. It wasn’t just tonight.”

In 80 regular season appearances for the Nuggets, Brown averaged a career-best 11.5 points per night on .483/.358/.758 shooting. He also contributed 4.1 RPG and 3.4 APG while handling a variety of defensive assignments. In the playoffs, he bumped his scoring average to 12.0 PPG while shooting 51.1% from the floor. On Monday, the five-year veteran made a key basket late in the game’s closing minutes to give Denver the lead, then knocked down two free throws with 14 seconds left to clinch the victory.

One option for Brown would be to decline his player option, sign another one-plus-one deal with a first-year salary of $7.8MM, then opt out again in 2024 in order to sign a more lucrative, longer-term deal with the Nuggets. Bobby Portis took this route in Milwaukee after winning a title with the Bucks, accepting a below-market deal in 2021 and then inking a four-year, $48.6MM contract in 2022 once the team had his Early Bird rights.

We’ll see if Brown wants to take a similar path once he’s not still basking in the fresh glow of a title. But on Monday, at least, he sounded genuinely enthusiastic about remaining in Denver.

“That’s insane,” he said of the Nuggets’ 16-4 playoff record, per Singer. “That doesn’t happen. … Why not run it back?”

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