Nuggets Salary Dumps Worth Exploring on Trade Market

The Denver Nuggets are a premier candidate this offseason to make some tough financial decisions around the edges of their roster.

According to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, the focus of this coming Nuggets offseason may revolve around "cost-cutting" moves against the cap that might even involve a "starting-level" player.

Considering the hike in contracts to come for both Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon at $50 and $33 million respectively, combined with the pending restricted free agency situation for Peyton Watson, the Nuggets are almost certain to shake up their books to make ends meet this next season, and likely avoid becoming a taxpayer team in the process.

So who around the roster might the Nuggets look to deal in the event they were looking to dump some salary?

Here are three candidates who instantly stick out as names to watch on the Nuggets roster as the offseason continues to unravel.

Cameron Johnson

The one name who's been most frequently linked as a trade candidate for the Nuggets to shed salary since the offseason kicked off has been their acquisition from the Brooklyn Nets last summer, Cameron Johnson.

Johnson's on an expiring $23 million deal this coming season, fresh off a solid first year in Denver that could allow opposing teams to take interest in his services without giving up significant assets to do so.

The big dilemma with trading Johnson, though, is determining what the Nuggets might look for in exchange for their veteran forward who they just got their hands on.

They're fresh off of trading a first-round pick to acquire him last summer, and trading him for a simple salary dump without many appealing assets in return would make their Michael Porter Jr. deal with the Brooklyn Nets look pretty poor in retrospect.

So expect the Nuggets to shop Johnson throughout the offseason, but not exactly give him up for nothing.

Zeke Nnaji

Zeke Nnaji is signed on with Denver to a $7.4 million contract this season and the same amount on a player option for the 2027-28 season, which could be money the Nuggets certainly value this summer if able to get off of it.

Nnaji had a decent season in Denver when given an opportunity while the Nuggets were shorthanded that could leave teams around the league interested in acquiring him for a low cost.

Given Denver's lack of flexibility in terms of draft assets, it could be easier said than done to attach extra value to a deal for Nnaji to ship him off.

But if the Nuggets can trade him out this summer without adding anything to their package to sweeten the pot, it could be an easy trigger for the front office to pull.

Jonas Valanciunas

Valanciunas could be the toughest on this list to move, simply because of his contract being worth a steep $10 million expiring figure. But that doesn't mean the Nuggets won't try to shop him in an effort to get off that money.

Valanciunas was a nice asset to have behind Jokic as a backup five, but begun to slowly get phased out of the rotation.

If the Nuggets can't find a deal for Valanciunas, though, they'll have the flexibility of shedding his non-guaranteed salary by cutting him, freeing up $8 million while only incurring a $2 million cap hit.

Either way, Valanciunas sticks out as a clear name the Nuggets could pivot off of this summer to accomplish their financial goals, regardless of the way in which it’s done.

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