Denver Nuggets 2023-24 Offseason Primer
Bruce Brown is Denver’s most significant free agent this summer considering he’s a lock to decline his $6.8 million player option amount. The combo guard-forward was vital to their playoff and title run and usually closed games with the starters. He is a perfect fit in Denver but they will have some challenges toward retaining him.
The Nuggets will have Brown’s Non-Bird rights, allowing them to re-sign him to up to a $7.8 million starting salary. If he accepts a one-year deal for that amount, he would accrue Early Bird rights following the 2023-24 season. This would allow Denver to re-sign him in 2024 for up to four years, projected at $56 million. This salary structure would give Brown an annual salary close to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which is the likely amount most teams will offer him this summer.
It seems unlikely that Brown would take a discount after earning below-market salaries these past two seasons. If the Nuggets want to pay Brown more to keep him, they would need to open up the $12.2 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception. This would require them to reduce enough payroll so they can fit his salary and fill out the rest of the roster within the first tax apron projected at $169 million.
If Denver were to follow through with this, it would likely mean trading Porter Jr. He is in the second year of a maximum contract where he’s set to earn $33.4 million this season and was often the weakest link among their rotation players. The Nuggets could move Porter Jr. for cheaper frontcourt players and draft picks, and then use the increased flexibility to re-sign Brown while adding more depth to the roster.
Source: Hoops Hype
