3 Nuggets players who definitely won't be back after failing to defend NBA title

The Denver Nuggets' season ended in brutal fashion on Sunday night. After the Nuggets built a 20-point lead in the third quarter, the Minnesota Timberwolves shut the water off. Chris Finch and the Wolves, with a roster built by former Nuggets GM Tim Connelly, outscored Denver 60-37 in the second half — in Denver, battling high altitude and a hostile crowd.

It's an incredible accomplishment for a long-suffering Wolves team, which moves on to face Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals. Denver, meanwhile, is left to pick up the broken pieces and figure out what exactly went wrong.

Was it just complacency? Can the Nuggets justify running it back, or are changes necessary? And, perhaps most critical of all the offseason questions, is running it back affordable?

These are the questions Calvin Booth and the Nuggets front office will need to answer this summer. It's a tricky inflection point for Denver. This team can very clearly contend for a title. Nikola Jokic is still the best player in the world and the Nuggets' starting five was one of the best lineups in the NBA all season. That unit was obliterated in the Minnesota series, though, and now it gets pricey.

Denver currently owes $170 million to 11 players, as laid out by Bleacher Report's David Kenyon. The second apron for tax purposes is expected to land around $190 million. With Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Jackson both entering free agency, it will be difficult for Denver to avoid that apron — and the CBA penalties that come with it. A second-apron team cannot offer more than minimum contracts in free agency, for example. Unless the Nuggets trade a core piece or let KCP walk, well, it's going to get even harder to build out the depth around their starting five.

Let's dive into a few players who probably won't stick around.

3. Nuggets need to upgrade DeAndre Jordan as the backup center

As the season progressed, Denver phased DeAndre Jordan out of the rotation. Aaron Gordon was the full-time backup five in the playoffs, as well as a high-minutes starter at the four spot. Those lineups work well enough, but the Nuggets would benefit from a more viable alternative to Nikola Jokic — preferably one that allows Gordon to stick in his more natural position. Optimism for the future of Zeke Nnaji has cooled considerably.

Several options exist in free agency, from Andre Drummond to a familiar face in Mason Plumlee. Denver won't have drastic resources to invest in this position, and Jordan performed much better than expected on a minimum contract. He's beloved in the locker room, a 2023 champ, and a great bench mob leader. Those facts could speak to the Denver front office, but even if slight tweaks are the only option available this summer, the Nuggets needs to take full advantage.

Jordan just doesn't have the defensive versatility necessary to survive in the postseason at this point in his career. A lot of regular season matchups are problematic, for that matter. He can fill 10 minutes off the bench in a pinch, but he's generally the 14th or 15th guy on a contender these days. There's no real reason for Denver to re-invest.

2. Reggie Jackson will probably be too expensive for the Nuggets

Reggie Jackson has a $5.2 million player option for next season. A lot of folks were surprised when Jackson received more than the minimum from Denver, but he lived up to his contract in 2023-24. He averaged a respectable 10.2 points and 3.8 assists on .431/.359/.806 splits in 22.2 minutes, appearing in all 82 regular season games (and all 12 postseason games) for the Nuggets. As an essential cog in second unit, Jackson has certainly earned the invite back. It's just a matter of finances.

A team in search of better backup point guard minutes will probably offer Jackson a slight raise. Denver will not have much flexibility to work with on the margins. If Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is brought back in his expected price range, that all but eliminates Denver's ability to suitably compensate Jackson. The 34-year-old was a fine bridge option in lieu of Monte Morris, but the Nuggets will begin a search for a new (extremely inexpensive) backup point guard this offseason.

Maybe Denver gets lucky with a ring-hunting vet, such as Chris Paul or Kyle Lowry. Or, maybe the Nuggets take a flier on unrealized talent, such as Shake Milton or Spencer Dinwiddie. There are plenty of viable minimum contract options, from Patrick Beverley and his podcast to, well, Monte Morris. Denver shouldn't have too much trouble fielding a reasonable stopgap behind Jamal Murray, if nothing else.

Jackson should contribute to a contender next season, but Denver won't be the team to pay him. Frankly, even if Denver fields a lower-cost option, there's ample chance for a potential upgrade. The Nuggets are still bona fide contenders, so plenty of small-time free agents should flock to those Rocky Mountain peaks.

1. Nuggets need to reshuffle the deck with Michael Porter Jr. trade

This prediction is a bit more nebulous. It's unclear how exactly the Nuggets will offload Michael Porter Jr., but the logic is fairly straightforward. As the Nuggets' cap sheet spikes, it will be hard to keep the starting five in tact. It will also be difficult to fill out the bench. The easiest route to addressing both issues is to trade one starter for multiple, more cost-effective role players.

Depth was a huge issue for the Nuggets this season following the departure of Bruce Brown. It won't get easier on that front. Christian Braun was the only reserve to play double-digit minutes in Game 7. With KCP entering free agency, Denver has a decision to make. Let him walk, or re-sign him and incur severe financial penalties. Caldwell-Pope ought to receive a healthy raise. He's one of the most accomplished niche starters in the NBA.

Denver should — and undoubtedly does — want KCP back. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are locks, with the latter due for a max extension in the near future. That means any reshuffling of the deck will need to involve Aaron Gordon or Michael Porter. There is a case for offloading either one, but Porter is pretty clearly the more expendable starter. He's also more expensive, set to make $35.9 million next season.

Caldwell-Pope and Gordon are too essential to the Nuggets' defensive identity. There is immense value rooted in Porter's 6-foot-10 size and knockdown shooting, but the Nuggets can return multiple impact pieces in a hypothetical Porter trade. Denver doesn't want or necessarily need to break up such a dominant starting lineup, but the new CBA is going to test the front office's ingenuity, as well as ownership's willingness to spend top-dollar for a contender.

It feels like the Nuggets are approaching a point of no return. Something has to give with the new CBA about to take effect. Trading Porter sucks for reasons both sentimental and strategic, but the right return package can paper over his absence and leave the Nuggets in a more manageable financial position moving forward. This is not an "avoid the tax" situation. It's a "maintain the ability to sign and trade" situation.