Ranking Every Current Denver Nuggets Contract From Best to Worst

The Denver Nuggets are in one of the trickiest financial situations within the entire NBA.

According to Capsheets.com, the Nuggets are paying a grand total of $218 million for their salaries signed on for the 2026-27 season. They're the only team in the NBA who has surpassed the second apron line, and are $18 million over the luxury tax, forcing them to pay an extra $75 million on top of their existing roster expenses.

So there's no question that the Nuggets are paying a pretty hefty price for their talent on the roster. When combining their salaries with additional luxury tax payments, Denver is forking over nearly $300 million.

But when taking a step back to look at the 14 players the Nuggets have on board, which of Denver's current contracts on the books tend to have the best value of them all? Which ones have the worst?

As we wait for the Nuggets to finalize their offseason before the 2026-27 campaign, let's break down who on the roster is signed to the worst contracts, and who's signed to the best-valued deal for Denver by ranking them from 14th all the way down to 1st:

The Worst of the Worst

Jan 7, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun (0) reacts after a play during the second half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

14. Christian Braun ($125M/5Y): After the way last season went for Braun, they had already regretted this extension before it had even kicked in. Now, they're hoping their $125 million guard can turn things around in year five to not make this deal look like a total disaster on their end.

13. Zeke Nnaji ($14.9M/1+1Y): Another example of an extension the Nuggets have regretted. Nnaji's two-year deal has been in trade talks throughout this offseason, yet those rumors haven't developed into anything yet. For now, he's the sixth-highest-paid player on the roster without assurance he's even in the rotation.

Veteran Minimum Depth Pieces

Feb 26, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Tyus Jones (1) warms up before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Sacramento Kings the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

12. Tyus Jones ($2.4M/1Y): The Nuggets made it a priority this offseason to bring back their veteran guard on a minimum deal. They did just that, and now, Jones finds himself as potentially the only backup point guard that Denver will have on the roster entering next season.

11. Marvin Bagley ($2.4M/1Y): After it became well-known that Jonas Valanciunas was going to get waived from the Nuggets this offseason, the front office went out to replace their veteran big man with a cheaper alternative in Bagley. He's a stronger option offensively to back up Nikola Jokic, but still might only be due for 10 minutes a game.

10. Alpha Diallo ($1.3M/1Y): The biggest budget acquisition the Nuggets have made all offseason: signing EuroLeague defensive star Alpha Diallo to a veteran minimum contract, which comes at a much lower rate than tenured league veterans like Jones and Bagley. If his fit in the NBA pans out, this contract can look like a steal in no time.

Valuable Expiring Contracts

Apr 18, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson (23) after making a three-pointer during the first half against the Minnesota Timberwolves in game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

9. Cameron Johnson ($23.0/1Y): The Nuggets had ample opportunity to search for trades that would dump Johnson's $23 million expiring salary this offseason to give themselves a better chance of retaining their restricted free agent, Peyton Watson. Instead, they kept Johnson, which should tell you a bit about how much Denver values their sharpshooting forward.

8. Julian Strawther ($4.3M/1Y): Strawther's opportunities saw a dip during his third season in Denver, but that might not be the case again in 2026-27. He's in a contract year, but as one of the younger, yet more proven and experienced pieces off the Nuggets' bench, he'll be getting a good share of minutes this season that makes this current contract look like strong value.

Multi-Year Deals for Younger Players

Jan 4, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Daron Holmes II (14) warms up prior to the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

7. DaRon Holmes ($8.9M/1+1Y): We aren't quite sure whether or not Holmes will ever return on his first-round draft capital after his Achilles injury suffered in 2024. But at the very least, his rookie contract still remains extremely affordable and keeps Denver flexible with his fourth-year team option due next summer.

6. Trevon Brazile ($9.2M/2+2Y): We don't know how good Brazile will look in this Nuggets' system right off the bat, and we aren't sure if he'll be a player to bank on as a valuable piece of the future. But an AAV of $2.3 million could look extremely strong in a short amount of time, even if Brazile is only a back-end rotation player.

5. Spencer Jones ($11.7M/2Y):Re-signing Jones to his two-year offer sheet from the OKC Thunder did put the Nuggets in a financial bind because of the second apron, but the front office felt it was best to match that deal anyways. Now, Denver has a defensive-minded wing to rely on for the next two seasons at an affordable rate.

Top Stars on Big Contracts

Mar 24, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) with guard Jamal Murray (27) against the Phoenix Suns in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

4. Jamal Murray ($161.4M/3Y): Of course, over a $50 million AAV is a large bill to foot for any player in the NBA. But in the case of Jamal Murray, he's an All-NBA level player coming off a career season. He's the type of player who's worth that type of contract, even if that hefty salary is now a part of the reason Denver's in their current sticky financial situation.

3. Aaron Gordon ($103.6M/2+1Y): The value of Gordon's contract can be oftentimes overlooked. A little over $34 million AAV for a player with his skill set and his impact to the Nuggets' success is well worth the price. The problem, though, is his availability. Now reaching age 30 coming off an injury-riddled 2025-26, any further health problems can make this deal turn really sour, really fast.

2. Nikola Jokic ($121.8M/1+1Y): Who knew paying a player over $60 million a season would be such good value? For a player of Nikola Jokic's caliber, there aren’t many guys more deserving of that type of salary. Denver certainly wishes this contract was signed on for a little longer, though, considering the three-time MVP could be due to hit unrestricted free agency come July of 2027.

The Best Value on the Roster

Apr 3, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard DeMar DeRozan (10) during the second quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

1. DeMar DeRozan ($2.3M/1Y): The Nuggets stumbled upon a steal late this offseason. DeRozan's fresh off a season with the Sacramento Kings where he averaged over 18 points per game on 49.7% shooting, while playing in all but five regular-season games. With Denver's current financial constraints in place, they couldn't imagine getting a better, more consistent talent for this price.

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