Nuggets Steal Back Key Forward From Thunder as $12 Million Deal Sparks New Problems

After a disappointing first-round exit in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, the Denver Nuggets are doing everything they can to remain competitive in the Western Conference this coming season. So far during the offseason, we've seen a couple of guys leave the roster. These are Jonas Valanciunas and Tim Hardaway Jr.

With notable names leaving the roster, the Nuggets front office needed to retain some key players before their situation got worse. The OKC Thunder previously offered forward Spencer Jones $12 million in hopes of acquiring him. However, Denver didn't want to risk losing him and matched OKC's offer. NBA insider Shams Charania reported that after offering Jones a $12 million deal, it now puts the Nuggets in the second apron.

"The Denver Nuggets are matching the Oklahoma City Thunder's two-year, $12 million offer sheet on Spencer Jones, retaining the key forward in restricted free agency," Charania wrote on X. "Nuggets valued keeping their homegrown player whom they landed on an undrafted deal in 2024."

"By matching Jones' sheet, the Nuggets face a $32 million increase in current luxury taxes ($36M to $68M) and enter the second apron," Charania added. "They are deep in tax bills but could shed money via trades in season."

After matching Jones' offer, the Nuggets are now projected to exceed the $207.8 million second luxury tax apron. Unfortunately for the team, they also have trade restrictions this year. Denver cannot combine two or more player salaries to trade for a single, higher-paid player.

As of this writing, the Nuggets currently have 14 players on their roster. They could still sign one more player; however, there are some limitations to it. At this point, they can only offer veteran minimum contracts.

Nuggets Emerge as the Only NBA Team in the Second Apron

The Denver Nuggets are currently in a tricky situation. After signing Spencer Jones for $12 million, this puts the Nuggets in the second apron. This means that Denver has little to no room to operate this offseason due to their budget restrictions.

According to NBA insider Evan Sidery, the Nuggets are now the only team so far that has exceeded the second apron.

With Peyton Watson's fate still hanging in the balance and Nikola Jokic's contract extension in question, Denver might find difficulties retaining these two stars.

"The Nuggets are now the only team exceeding the second apron threshold, and they still have to navigate restricted free agency for Peyton Watson," Sidery wrote on X.

Now, the only way the Nuggets could shed some money is if they offload some players they currently have for cash via trade. However, if they don't act soon, Denver could start the season with essentially the same lineup while dealing with salary cap penalties.

"If Denver doesn’t make any significant trades, they will be running back their roster but with potentially significant cap penalties," Sidery added.

Given their current situation, it's safe to assume that the Nuggets could struggle to remain as one of the top contenders in the Western Conference this coming season.

With a lack of budget to acquire new players that could help the team win, this might end up as a dire situation for Denver.