Are the Nuggets among the losers of the offseason? The 2023 NBA champions lost Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and the guard was not replaced as the management preferred to recruit Russell Westbrook as Jamal Murray's backup, and Dario Saric to support Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic.
“Once we knew (Caldwell-Pope) was going to exercise his clause and test the open market, we knew it was going to be pretty difficult to retain him,” says President Josh Kroenke. “We had very good offers that seemed interesting for the future, but when free agency comes and teams have money and real needs, it's complicated. We acted intelligently and we think we have young players who can fill certain roles, and so we also have to think about the future in the new system.”
A decisive summer for many franchises
This “new system” is the new collective agreement that is very restrictive with franchises that spend without counting. The Nuggets could align with the Magic's offer ($66 million over three years), but they would have been blocked from recruiting for the following seasons. In Denver, we are therefore counting on Christian Braun and Peyton Watson to fill the void left by KCP.
“It was a tough exercise this summer… We were excited to retain Caldwell-Pope, but we also knew that if he decided to test the market, we would probably have to do without him to maintain flexibility in the future.” continues the Nuggets leader. “I think the roster is generally ready for the upcoming season right now… But you never know. Our eyes and ears are always open. The new rules are interesting, as well as the way some trades work once you get past the first threshold. The way some teams have behaved this summer has opened the eyes of a lot of others.”
Even if it is not a position for position, and the two players do not have the same qualities, the arrival of Russell Westbrook fills the management. “I had the opportunity to meet him for the first time right after he signed and I told him I was very grateful that he was on this side,” concludes Kroenke. “I watched him tear our hearts out for so many years in Oklahoma City and stuff. So he's going to be a big part of who we are, both on and off the court, with some of the kids that are going to be playing a bigger role this year. Russ has seen it all in the NBA, so he's going to be a big part of who we are, both in the locker room and on the court.”
