What the Nuggets Actually Need at the Trade Deadline

The NBA trade deadline is less than a week away now, and most of the league is gearing up to make some changes. Are the Denver Nuggets one of those teams?

On paper, the Nuggets have a championship-caliber roster when healthy, especially centered around Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, but injuries have certainly gotten the best of them this season. While there is a chance the team could get desperate at the deadline in hopes of building some extra depth behind their injuries, they will likely stay pretty quiet.

If the Nuggets do decide to make any moves at the February 5 deadline, here is what they need, and what they don't.

What the Nuggets need: Save some money

Jan 5, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Zeke Nnaji (22) reacts to a play against the Philadelphia 76ers during the third quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

While the Nuggets sit comfortably below the aprons, they sit about half a million dollars above the tax line. The team is expected to try to shave some money at the deadline to get below that line, but also in the hopes of cutting salary to make room to re-sign Peyton Watson in free agency this offseason.

"League personnel anticipate that the Nuggets will soon execute a small move of some sort to evade the luxury tax since Denver currently hovers roughly $500,000 above that line. The Nuggets, sources say, are confident that they'll be able to do so without sacrificing anyone from their preferred rotation," NBA insider Jake Fischer reported on The Stein Line.

The top trade target in Denver remains backup big man Zeke Nnaji, who is owed $8.2 million this season, $7.5 million next season, and a player option worth $7.5 million in the 2027-28 season. If the Nuggets can get off of Nnaji's contract at this year's deadline, it would save them a pretty penny moving ahead.

The problem with trading away Nnaji is that the Nuggets would potentially have to attach a second-round pick to get off of his contract, and Denver has limited draft capital across the board. Regardless, if the Nuggets make any moves in the next week, it will simply be to save money.

What Nuggets don't need: A big splash

Jan 23, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) looks on during the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Fiserv Forum. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

For a few reasons, we will not be seeing the Nuggets make a big splash at this year's deadline. One, the team simply does not have the assets to make a major change. Even if the team wanted to make a push for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, they would not be able to. Two, their financial situation is far too tight to take on any extra money. Three, why would they change their current roster?

Especially with the moves they made last season, like adding Tim Hardaway Jr., Jonas Valančiūnas, Cam Johnson, and Bruce Brown, the Nuggets legitimately have one of the NBA's best rosters. While they are banged up right now, there should be no rush to change things this season.

The Nuggets have only had ten games this season of their roster at full strength, and they would be much better off waiting until everyone is healthy to see what this team is capable of. By the postseason, everyone should be back on the floor, and the Nuggets should be ready for a title run. However, if things do not work out this year, then we could see more significant changes in the offseason.

All in all, we should not expect the Nuggets to make any major changes at this year's deadline, and if they make any trades at all, it will be a move to save money.

What the Nuggets Actually Need at the Trade Deadline – And What They Don't

What the Nuggets need: Save some money

What Nuggets don't need: A big splash

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