Nuggets Could Part Ways With Some Role Players Before Trade Deadline

The Denver Nuggets have never been the biggest spender. Unfortunately, when you play in a small market like Denver, it's hard to justify paying a huge tax bill for your roster. This isn't what a contending team like the Nuggets should do, but historically it's what their owners tend to do. 

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report made some bold predictions ahead of the 2026 NBA trade deadline, and he believes that the Nuggets are going to make a trade to duck the tax. 

“The Nuggets are less than $1 million over the luxury tax. Being that close could make dipping under the line irresistible for ownership. The incentives for resetting the penalties for being a "repeater" team are huge. And Denver can do it without really hurting their 2026 title chances.

If they can find a deal involving Zeke Nnaji, Julian Strawther, Hunter Tyson, or Jalen Pickett that sends out around $400,000 more than it brings back, the Nuggets will be under the line….

Nnaji, in particular, is having one of the better stretches of his career, averaging 9.2 points and 5.0 rebounds in 22.6 minutes this January. Some teams might be more willing to take a chance on him now, and ducking the tax could make it easier to sign Peyton Watson (a bigger January breakout) in restricted free agency."

A team as good as the Nuggets shouldn’t be making cost-cutting moves. They are one of the few teams that have a legitimate chance of winning it all. They should be making additive moves, not cutting players to save money. Fortunately for the Nuggets, the players on the trade block aren’t essential pieces of their rotation. If they get rid of Nnaji, Strawther, Tyson, or Pickett, it won’t be the end of the world.