Three Free Agents the Nuggets Wish They Could Afford This Offseason

The Denver Nuggets are in a tight financial position this offseason. and are expected to be hovering above the second apron, pending some cost-cutting moves. Of course, they will do what they can to shed salary this summer, but they will likely not make enough room to be competitive on the free agency market.

Unfortunately for the Nuggets, there are a few free agents this summer who are likely priced out of Denver's range, yet would be great fits as they look to get back to championship contention. Here's a look at three dream free agents for the Nuggets, who they likely will not be able to afford, but could target under different circumstances.

LeBron James

There has been plenty of talk about the possibility of LeBron James leaving the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Nuggets, on paper, seem like a realistic destination. It is not outlandish to believe James could choose to play alongside Nikola Jokic and compete for a championship, but there are a few reasons why this will not happen.

One, the Nuggets do not have the money to pay James. There was an initial thought that James might take the veteran minimum in free agency this summer, but more recent rumors suggest otherwise. Two, James will likely stay close to home. Whether it be the Lakers or the Golden State Warriors, James seems unlikely to stray too far away from Los Angeles.

Would James want to spend his final year in the NBA in Denver? Probably not, but if the Nuggets at least had the money to offer him, there could be some conversations to be had. The thought of a team built around Jokic, James, and Jamal Murray is enough for the Nuggets to try to get it done, but it is not as realistic as they would hope.

Kristaps Porzingis

Kristaps Porzingis is coming off a two-year contract worth $30 million per year, and while his next deal will certainly not be as lucrative, he will likely still be out of Denver's price range. The 7-foot-2 big man has spent time with the Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, and Golden State Warriors over the past two seasons, and while he has had significant injury concerns, he remains productive when healthy.

This past season, he averaged 16.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game, while shooting 44.6% from the field and 33.8% from three-point range.

On paper, Porzingis is the ideal player to have alongside Jokic in Denver's frontcourt. A stretch big man who can defend the paint is a dream come true for the Nuggets, but it would take a lot of convincing for Porzingis to take a significant pay cut to play in Denver.

Ayo Dosunmu

While Nuggets fans might still have hard feelings toward Ayo Dosunmu, the talented guard would be the ideal target in free agency. As the Nuggets search for guard depth, there are not many better options than Dosunmu. Unfortunately, he might be just too expensive for Denver.

Of course, Nuggets fans will not forget about what Dosunmu did in the playoffs anytime soon. In Game 4 of their first-round series, he dropped 43 points to help Minnesota take a 3-1 lead and ultimately send the Nuggets home. Sure, he is not the most liked player in Denver right now, but if anything, that playoff outing should convince the Nuggets to target him.

With clear offensive strengths and impressive defense, Dosunmu would be a great addition in Denver.

Ideally, the Nuggets would have some money to spend in free agency this offseason, but they will be focusing their attention on handing out veteran minimum contracts.

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