The flood gates of free agency open Sunday night around the NBA.
For the Nuggets specifically, the flood — or to put it more accurately, the stream — of offseason additions will hinge on one major outcome in particular, one that will begin to materialize at 4 p.m. MT. That’s when all NBA teams are allowed to negotiate with free agents, including Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Denver’s valuable fifth starter the last two seasons.
Caldwell-Pope is expected to decline his $15.4 million player option this week, making him an unrestricted free agent. The Nuggets possess his Bird rights, allowing them to match other teams’ offers even as it pushes their roster payroll further over the luxury tax. However, the collective bargaining agreement’s newly imposed second apron complicates the decision of whether to do that by presenting competitive penalties, not just financial ones.
We get into all of that here, examining the free agency scenarios based on which direction the first domino falls.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s free agency market
First thing’s first: What kind of contract offer will KCP get?
This is a weak free agent class at his position, to the extent that Caldwell-Pope might be the best shooting guard available. That should increase the number of teams pining for his archetypal 3-and-D services, and it could even raise the ceiling of his next salary. Low supply, high demand. A contract at $20 million per year feels like the low end of what he’ll obtain.
Years are also a factor. Caldwell-Pope is 31 with a lot of miles on him. He has played in 96% of all regular-season games in his 11-year career, so this could end up being his last opportunity to sign an NBA contract this lucrative. Getting paid sufficiently until he’s 35 might be more meaningful than getting paid a bit more annually but only until he’s 33. There’s a good chance Denver is contending with at least one long-term offer. Four years at over $90 million is not far fetched (maybe including a fourth-year team option).
That’s especially true for teams with spending money in their pockets. The Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic are expected to pursue Caldwell-Pope using the ample cap space at their disposal, league sources told The Denver Post. Those are compelling destinations, considering both teams made the 2024 playoffs and are trying to take the next step. Other potential suitors that have been reported include Indiana, Chicago and San Antonio.
The Nuggets will try to keep Caldwell-Pope. Even if they don’t match the highest bidder, they will likely present a competitive counter-offer, perhaps fewer years with a higher salary. But there are ultimately two elements to how they maneuver through this. First, the front office has to determine what Caldwell-Pope is worth to Denver in money and years, from a basketball standpoint. Second is the chain reaction of re-signing him — because there’s more at stake than just a tax bill for ownership.
Here’s how free agency will look for Denver in case of both outcomes.
If KCP stays …
The second apron is …read more
Source:: The Denver Post – Sports
