The Denver Nuggets will be the only team in the second apron this year after matching Spencer Jones' two-year, 12 million offer sheet. Simply returning a contract worth $6 million annually has added nearly $30 million to the Nuggets' luxury tax payment, raising it from $36 million to $68 million.
That doesn't include restricted free agent Peyton Watson, who is reportedly seeking a deal (subscription required) similar to Christian Braun's five-year, $125 million agreement.
All that is to say, the Nuggets are obscenely expensive, not very good, and in need of anything to contend in the last few years of Nikola Jokic's prime. The Indiana Pacers need to find a way to poach talent from a team struggling to keep it.
It's always a good rule of thumb for front offices to A) never be desperate and B) always take advantage of desperate teams. Remember when the LA Clippers initially got Ivica Zubac for Mike Muscala, simply because Magic Johnson was dying for a stretch four alongside LeBron James?
Those are the types of moves that usually work out best. Denver is expected to make a ton of cost-cutting trades, finding new homes for Aaron Gordon and/or Cam Johnson. They'd clearly love to dump Braun's dreadful deal.
However, while the market surely won't be empty for those players, no one making over $15 million annually is really in the Pacers' financial range.
Instead, Indiana could find a role as a third team in a trade.
Facilitator gets paid
Indiana has two tradeable firsts, a gaggle of second-rounders, and some mid-level movable deals. They can send out a second-draft option in Jarace Walker, who needs to show out or move on, or a veteran guard or forward making decent money, like TJ McConnell or Obi Toppin.
Neither of those last names is expected to be moved, as the Pacers' bench is already a weak point of their team, but their deals make them the only trade chips Indiana has that aren't picks.
Still, if the Nuggets look to target a return package from the guard-needy Charlotte Hornets for Jamal Murray, the Pacers could get involved and pry away someone like Dorian Finney-Smith or Royce O'Neale to add real 3-and-D options off the bench.
If Denver does the impossible and tries to bring in Zion Williamson as part of an upside swing, sending Aaron Gordon to New Orleans or elsewhere, can Indiana bring in Herb Jones or any of the other useful forwards along that roster?
The other fascinating option is taking advantage of how badly the Nuggets want to shed money by taking on Zeke Nnaji's contract alongside real pick equity. If Indiana can get a pick swap or even a pick outright for after Nikola Jokic's assumed playing days are over, they could get a prime asset off the cheapness of Denver's management.
With the East being the bloodbath that it is, contending will be far harder than initially thought. Keeping that in mind, making smart moves out of slowly imploding front offices is the way to close that gap, not immediately, but surely.
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