Benjamin Sterne

@APH00PS Half a billion sounds crazzzyyy

Just by re-signing Peyton Watson at a starting salary of $25M, the Denver Nuggets will receive a luxury tax bill of $175.8M. That's before re-signing Spencer Jones and before adding a 14th player to the roster. Doing both, assuming Jones re-signs at a starting salary of $7.5M, increases the luxury tax bill to $256.4M. The highest single-season tax bill belonged to the 2023-24 Golden State Warriors: $170.9M. Over $80M less than Denver's projected final bill. The total cost of the 2026-27 Denver Nuggets roster, under the previously mentioned circumstances, would be $500.7M. HALF a BILLION dollars.

@APH00PS What is the most Clippers can offer in a sign and trade for PW while the KL trade is on hold?

@depressedjokfan Wouldn’t mind doing this actually

Can the PWat thing be over already, like what's taking so long Just trade him for like 2-3 1st rps and then use those picks to trade CB and get Trey Murphy or someone idk

@JBnuggs I agree, just seems like it is more likely than not CB will be worth his contract, and all this talk about the contract being bad are premature

@BenjaminSterne Counting stats are less important imo. He needs to hit 3s at 40% AND play good/great defense. He can average 12/4/2 and if he does those other 2 things its close to proper value

What does CB have to average next season to be worth the $25 mill he will be paid?

@Fern_Vitu @Nuggets_Brasil If Gordon, CB and Pwat are injured yes

@Nuggets_Brasil Essa temporada vai ser pique aquela pós título. N vem ninguém impactante e vamos acabar morrendo na praia mais uma vez

Essa é a PROJEÇÃO do Ryan Blackburn se o Nuggets renovar com P-Wat pelo mesmo preço de Braun e só contratar veteranos. Assim, o time custaria $238.5M em salários e $217.5 em taxas. $456 milhões no total só para a temporada 26/27.

@NBABlackburn If they did foot the bill this year, the following season Zeke expiring contract should be easier to get rid of, cam is off the books, and it would probably lead us to the best possible outcome for next year

That disappears the moment they add minimum contracts, but it especially changes if/when they sign Peyton Watson. Here's a projection that includes Denver giving Peyton Watson an identical contract to Christian Braun and filling out the rest of their roster with minimums.

So, I wanted to thread together some information on Denver's financial situation. It's dire, and I just don't think they're going to do what people want them to do and pay an unlimited tax bill. Here's the current salary cap sheet following the waiving of Jonas Valanciunas.

@masterkidgo I find it hard to believe there isn’t atleast 5-10 teams that wouldn’t love to have a player as talented as Cam, AND on an expiring contract. I doubt they will have to give up anything to get rid of Cam

@BenjaminSterne DEN giving up a 1st to offload Cam $23M contract bc they literally cant afford to pay Watson and getting a 2nd from the Lakers to offload Vando contract and that helps them pay Watson bc he’s the main priority

Potential 3 Team Trade Proposal 👀🍿 @masterkidgo DEN receive: • Jarred Vanderbilt • 2033 second-round pick via LAL NOP receive: • Cam Johnson • 2031 first-round pick via DEN • 2032 pick swap via LAL • 2031 second-round pick via LAL LAL receive: • Herb Jones

@NBABlackburn Seriously what is taking so long lol

I’d expect to hear about Valanciunas in the next couple hours.

@mgronewold95 @DNVR_Nuggets @Adam_Mares If we sign PWat, to get out of the second apron we would have to get rid of big Val and CamJ for nothing, and probably another contract too.

@BenjaminSterne @DNVR_Nuggets @Adam_Mares Is there any world that we re-signed Watson and will be good financially or if we re resign him we’re pretty much in hell?

"It's almost exclusively now down to Denver giving an offer, or a sign-and-trade situation, or Brooklyn." "It might be this is the market Denver was reading." - @Adam_Mares 🗣️ Peyton Watson's RFA market is coming into focus 👁️

@mgronewold95 @DNVR_Nuggets @Adam_Mares I would love Dunn too but I’d rather keep Pwat if either option leaves us in the same financial pickle

@BenjaminSterne @DNVR_Nuggets @Adam_Mares Oh I don’t know all that stuff works I do want Dunn need defense off the bench he would be nice addition lol

@mgronewold95 @DNVR_Nuggets @Adam_Mares If we do that, we will still be in the luxury tax paying a fortune

@DNVR_Nuggets @Adam_Mares DJJ and Dunn for Watson (if he doesn’t re-sign with us)

@depressedjokfan Nuggets team would be very trash if this happened

Trade PWat for a bunch of picks, and use those picks to get rid of CB. x.com/Fullcourtpass/…

@BetMGM I am not sure I want LeBron on Denver, but Denver is the only team I can see that has the talent to win the chip, but also would be a good fit and doesnt already stacked with ball dominant players

LeBron might need to go to Philly 👀

@BetMGM Cavs, 76ers have too many players who are already ball dominant. GSW and Miami are better fire, but they have less talented lineups

@DNVR_Nuggets @Adam_Mares He’s a PG? I thought he was more of a SG

👀 @Adam_Mares

I doubt LeBron comes to Denver, but I have to say Philly sounds like a poor fit. This team already has WAY to many players who need the ball in their hands to be effective. Embiid, Maxey, now JB. Add LeBron to the mix, now you have 4 players who all want the ball in their hands.

@ogbandzam @Hoopss I mean creating for others/passing. Not scoring

@BenjaminSterne @Hoopss He almost averaged 30 but he is not “good at creating offense” you yappin

REPORT: Jaylen Brown to Denver is gaining smoke, with a rumored trade package involving Jamal Murray and Cam Johnson heading to Boston for Brown. 🤯