The start of the Nuggets offseason: A lot was expected, and a lot still needs to be done

This front six has started to cost a lot of money.

Among them, Jokic ($51,415,938), Murray ($36,016,200), Michael Porter Jr ($35,859,950) and Aaron Gordon ($23,841,455) already costs the full salary cap. In addition to the salaries of the five starters Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($15,440,185) and the sixth man Reggie Jackson ($5,250,000) has the team already struggling against the luxury tax threshold, before it matches the game’s legal minimum.

Beyond those six, through cost control measures, $8,888,889 was owed to maintain capital. Yes Nnaji it’s the only non-minor/non-rookie scale contract on the books. Those rookie ratings and minimum-salary contracts pay for young players like that Christian Braun, Peyton Watson again Hunter Tyson – the idea is that these players will develop into new bench stars, reducing the need for external reinforcements.

Still, the Nuggets have a cap hit north of $190 million penciled in for 2024-25 without making a dollar on anyone new. Gone are the days when ownership could simply write off huge luxury tax bills. Now, the measures imposed on high payrolls are crippling.