Denver Nuggets Cap Sheet 2026-27
The Denver Nuggets have $221,909,933 in displayed 2026-27 team salary, including $2,000,000 of dead money, which is $56,948,933 over the salary cap, with 15 standard contracts and 2 two-way contracts on the books. The Nuggets are $21,481,933 over the luxury tax level, $12,894,933 over the first apron and $223,933 over the second apron. Capsheets.com does not list the Nuggets as hard-capped at either apron for 2026-27.
Cap, tax and apron position
| Line | Amount | Displayed salary against it |
|---|---|---|
| Displayed team salary | $221,909,933 | Signed contracts, options and dead money; free-agent cap holds excluded |
| Salary cap | $164,961,000 | $56,948,933 over the salary cap |
| Luxury tax level | $200,428,000 | $21,481,933 over the luxury tax level |
| First apron | $209,015,000 | $12,894,933 over the first apron |
| Second apron | $221,686,000 | $223,933 over the second apron |
| Dead money included | $2,000,000 | Part of displayed team salary |
| Contracts | 15 standard | 2 two-way; 10 free-agent cap holds not counted above |
Player contracts
| Player | Pos. | Age | 2026-27 cap hit | % of cap | Option | Guarantee note | Extension-eligible | 2027-28 | 2028-29 | 2029-30 | 2030-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikola Jokic | C | 31 | $59,033,114 | 35.8% | No option | — | Marked eligible | $62,841,702Player option | — | — | — |
| Jamal Murray | PG | 29.9 | $50,105,628 | 30.4% | No option | — | — | $53,817,156 | $57,528,684 | — | — |
| Aaron Gordon | PF | 31.4 | $31,978,037 | 19.4% | No option | — | — | $34,536,280 | $37,094,523Player option | — | — |
| Cameron Johnson | SF | 30.9 | $23,062,500 | 14.0% | No option | — | Marked eligible | — | — | — | — |
| Christian Braun | SG | 25.8 | $21,551,726 | 13.1% | No option | — | — | $23,275,863 | $25,000,000 | $26,724,137 | $28,448,274 |
| Zeke Nnaji | PF | 26.1 | $7,466,667 | 4.5% | No option | — | Marked eligible | $7,466,667Player option | — | — | — |
| Spencer Jones | SF | 25 | $6,000,000 | 3.6% | No option | — | — | $5,750,000 | — | — | — |
| Julian Strawther | SF | 24.8 | $4,826,931 | 2.9% | No option | — | Marked eligible | — | — | — | — |
| DaRon Holmes II | PF | 24.5 | $3,372,120 | 2.0% | No option | — | — | $5,547,138Team option; $0 guaranteed | — | — | — |
| DeMar DeRozan | SF | 37.5 | $2,449,421 | 1.5% | No option | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lonnie Walker IV | SG | 28.1 | $2,449,421 | 1.5% | No option | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Marvin Bagley III | PF | 27.9 | $2,449,421 | 1.5% | No option | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tyus Jones | PG | 30.7 | $2,449,421 | 1.5% | No option | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Alpha Diallo | SF | 29 | $1,357,763 | 0.8% | No option | Non-guaranteed | — | — | — | — | — |
| Trevon Brazile | PF | 24 | $1,357,763 | 0.8% | No option | — | — | $2,294,370 | $2,694,363$0 guaranteed | $2,918,152Team option; $0 guaranteed | — |
| Bryce Hopkins | F | 25 | $0 | 0.0% | Two-way | $91,000 guaranteed | — | — | — | — | — |
| K.J. Simpson | PG | 24 | $0 | 0.0% | Two-way | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Player contracts total | $219,909,933 | 133.3% | $195,529,176 | $122,317,570 | $29,642,289 | $28,448,274 | |||||
Source: Spotrac-derived workbook, retrieved . Ages are as of February 1 of the season. “Guarantee note” repeats the source’s wording and is blank where the source gives none. Two-way contracts are listed without a cap hit.
Dead money
$2,000,000 of the displayed 2026-27 team salary is dead money: salary still charged for players who were waived or bought out.
| Player | How | 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|
| Jonas Valanciunas | Waived | $2,000,000 |
| Dead money total | $2,000,000 | |
Source: Spotrac team cap tables, retrieved .
Exceptions: balances and expiry
| Exception | Type | Remaining balance | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| TPE (Peyton Watson) | Trade exception | $10,232,558 | |
| TPE (Hunter Tyson) | Trade exception | $2,221,677 |
Source: Capsheets.com, retrieved . Source-listed exception balances and expiration dates; website payrolls remain unchanged. Availability is subject to apron and transaction restrictions.
Hard-cap status
Capsheets.com does not list the Nuggets as hard-capped at either apron for 2026-27. The source page labels its apron rows “First Apron”, “Second Apron”.
Source: Capsheets.com, checked . Only the restriction label is taken from that page; the salary and apron figures on this page are this site’s snapshot.
Future draft picks
First round
- 2028: Own (tradable: No)
- 2030: Own (tradable: No)
- 2031: Own (tradable: Yes)
- 2031: CLE (unprotected) (tradable: Yes)
- 2033: Own (tradable: No)
Second round
- 2028: Own (protected 31-33) (tradable: Yes)
- 2028: MIN (unprotected) (tradable: Yes)
- 2030: SAC (unprotected) (tradable: Yes)
- 2032: SAC (unprotected) (tradable: Yes)
- 2033: Own (tradable: Yes)
Source: CapSheets.com, retrieved ; displayed first- and second-round pick inventories for the next seven drafts. Pick descriptions and tradability are shown as that source words them.
Are the Denver Nuggets hard-capped in 2026-27?
No hard cap is reported for the Denver Nuggets in 2026-27: Capsheets.com, checked , does not label either apron as hard-capped for them.
Displayed 2026-27 team salary is $221,909,933, which is $12,894,933 over the first apron of $209,015,000 and $223,933 over the second apron of $221,686,000.
This is an approximation. The agreement tests the aprons against “Apron Team Salary”, which is Team Salary after a list of adjustments (Article VII, Section 2(e)(1), p. 186); this page compares the displayed contract total instead.
A Team that engages in a transaction set forth in the Transaction Restrictions Table may not, for the remainder of such Salary Cap Year, have an Apron Team Salary that exceeds the Applicable Apron Level that corresponds with such transaction in the table.
Article VII, Section 2(e)(2)(i)(B), p. 187. Paraphrase (not CBA text): Once a team makes a listed transaction, it cannot exceed that apron for the rest of that cap year. This is what is commonly called being hard-capped.
“Hard cap” is the common name for this restriction; the phrase does not appear in the agreement.
The Nuggets would become hard-capped by making a transaction listed in the agreement’s Transaction Restrictions Table, for example using the bi-annual exception (Article VII, Section 2(e)(4), row A, p. 190) or the non-taxpayer mid-level exception (Article VII, Section 2(e)(4), row B, p. 190) for the first apron, or signing a player with the taxpayer mid-level exception (Article VII, Section 2(e)(4), row K, p. 191) for the second apron. A trade, waiver or signing after the snapshot date also changes the displayed salary.
Hard-cap label source limitation (checked ): Requested Spotrac source returned an empty HTTP 202 response in direct retrieval and Chromium. Current 2026-27 Capsheets.com team pages explicitly identify hard-capped apron rows; plain apron rows mean no hard cap reported by that source. Only restriction labels were imported; all displayed salary amounts and apron thresholds remain the website snapshot. Restriction triggers are not supplied by these team pages. No prior-season hard caps carry forward.
How far are the Denver Nuggets from the first and second apron?
On displayed contracts, the Denver Nuggets are $12,894,933 over the first apron and $223,933 over the second apron for 2026-27.
First apron $209,015,000 against displayed team salary $221,909,933: $12,894,933 over the first apron. Second apron $221,686,000: $223,933 over the second apron. Luxury tax level $200,428,000: $21,481,933 over the luxury tax level.
This is an approximation. The agreement tests the aprons against “Apron Team Salary”, which is Team Salary after a list of adjustments (Article VII, Section 2(e)(1), p. 186); this page compares the displayed contract total instead.
The tax is likewise assessed on “Tax Team Salary”, measured at the start of the team’s last regular season game (Article VII, Section 2(d)(1)(i), pp. 179–180), not on a preseason total.
Season amounts: the 2026-27 salary cap, tax level and apron levels shown here are those in the NBA.com release; the agreement itself fixes only the formulas.
For each subsequent Salary Cap Year, the First Apron Level shall equal the First Apron Level for the 2023-24 Salary Cap Year multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the Salary Cap for the applicable Salary Cap Year and the denominator of which is the Salary Cap for the 2023-24 Salary Cap Year.
Article VII, Section 2(a)(4)(iii)(A), p. 171. Paraphrase (not CBA text): After 2023-24 the first apron moves in proportion to the salary cap: the 2023-24 first apron times (this season's cap ÷ the 2023-24 cap).
For each subsequent Salary Cap Year, the Second Apron Level shall equal the Second Apron Level for the 2023-24 Salary Cap Year multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the Salary Cap for the applicable Salary Cap Year and the denominator of which is the Salary Cap for the 2023-24 Salary Cap Year.
Article VII, Section 2(a)(4)(iii)(B), p. 171. Paraphrase (not CBA text): After 2023-24 the second apron moves in proportion to the salary cap: the 2023-24 second apron times (this season's cap ÷ the 2023-24 cap).
Any trade, waiver claim, signing, exercised or declined option, or buyout after the snapshot date moves the Nuggets’ displayed salary and therefore both distances. Free-agent cap holds are not part of the displayed total.
Which exceptions can the Denver Nuggets still use?
Capsheets.com lists 2 exceptions with a remaining balance for the Denver Nuggets: TPE (Peyton Watson) ($10,232,558, expiring ) and TPE (Hunter Tyson) ($2,221,677, expiring ). Balances were retrieved .
Source note: Source-listed exception balances and expiration dates; website payrolls remain unchanged. Availability is subject to apron and transaction restrictions.
“TPE” rows are traded player exceptions; this page reads each expiry date as the one-year window for a non-simultaneous trade (Article VII, Section 6(j)(1)(i), p. 240).
Against the displayed total, the Nuggets are $12,894,933 over the first apron and $223,933 over the second apron; whether a given signing or trade fits is not decided on this page.
A Team’s Team Salary may not exceed the Salary Cap at any time unless the Team is using one of the Exceptions set forth in Section 6 below.
Article VII, Section 2(b)(1), p. 176. Paraphrase (not CBA text): A team may not be over the cap unless it is using one of the Section 6 exceptions.
Using an exception, a trade that uses or creates a traded player exception, an expiry date passing, or renouncing an exception (Article VII, Section 6(n)(2), p. 248) changes this list. Unused mid-level and bi-annual amounts also shrink daily from January 10 (Article VII, Section 6(n)(4), p. 249).
Different retrieval dates: the salary table is the snapshot, while exception balances were retrieved and hard-cap labels were checked . A transaction between those dates can appear in one and not the other. Dead-money charges were retrieved .
How much cap space do the Denver Nuggets have?
None on the displayed snapshot: the Denver Nuggets are $56,948,933 over the salary cap of $164,961,000 for 2026-27.
Salary cap $164,961,000 against displayed team salary $221,909,933: $56,948,933 over the salary cap. The displayed total counts signed contracts, options and dead money. It leaves out the 10 free-agent cap holds in this snapshot and any exception amounts the league counts in Team Salary, so it is not a statement of usable cap room.
“Room” means the extent to which: (i) a Team’s then-current Team Salary is less than the Salary Cap; or (ii) a Team is entitled to use one of the Salary Cap Exceptions set forth in Article VII, Sections 6(c), (d), (e), (f), (g), and (j) (Disabled Player Exception, Bi-annual Exception, Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Salary Exception, Taxpayer Mid-Level Salary Exception, Mid-Level Salary Exception for Room Teams, and Traded Player Exception).
Article I, Section 1(kkk), p. 9. Paraphrase (not CBA text): “Room” means either how far Team Salary is under the cap, or the right to use one of the listed exceptions.
until a Team’s Veteran Free Agent re-signs with his Team, signs with another NBA Team, or is renounced, he will be included in his Prior Team’s Team Salary at one of the following amounts (“Free Agent Amounts”):
Article VII, Section 4(d), p. 217. Paraphrase (not CBA text): A team's own free agent keeps counting against its Team Salary (the “Free Agent Amount”, commonly called a cap hold) until he re-signs, signs elsewhere or is renounced.
Exceptions can also count: Article VII, Section 6(n)(2), p. 248.
Renouncing a free agent removes his Free Agent Amount (Article VII, Section 4(g)(1), p. 221), and renouncing an exception removes it from Team Salary (Article VII, Section 6(n)(2), p. 248). A trade, waiver, buyout, signing or option decision changes the displayed salary itself.
Which Denver Nuggets players have options or become extension-eligible?
The snapshot shows 2 team options and 3 player options on the Denver Nuggets’ books through 2030-31, and 4 players marked extension-eligible for 2026-27.
Option years in the snapshot
- Nikola Jokic: 2027-28 player option, $62,841,702
- Zeke Nnaji: 2027-28 player option, $7,466,667
- DaRon Holmes II: 2027-28 team option, $5,547,138
- Aaron Gordon: 2028-29 player option, $37,094,523
- Trevon Brazile: 2029-30 team option, $2,918,152
Marked extension-eligible in 2026-27
- Nikola Jokic
- Cameron Johnson
- Zeke Nnaji
- Julian Strawther
These lists are read directly from the contract rows above. Option types and extension markers are the Spotrac-derived workbook’s labels; this page does not test any player against the agreement’s eligibility rules, and a “team option” on a first-round pick’s rookie contract is the rookie scale option (Article VIII, Section 1(a), p. 290).
“Option” means an option in a Player Contract in favor of a Team or player to extend such Contract beyond its stated term.
Article I, Section 1(ss), p. 6. Paraphrase (not CBA text): An option lets a team or a player extend the contract beyond its stated term.
Any ETO must be exercised by 5:00 p.m. eastern time on the June 29 immediately prior to the Effective Season of such ETO. Any Option must be exercised by 5:00 p.m. eastern time on the June 29 immediately prior to the Season covered by the Option, except that an Option in favor of a player who would become a Restricted Free Agent if the Option were not exercised must be exercised prior to the June 25 immediately prior to the Season covered by such Option.
Article XII, Section 4, p. 338. Paraphrase (not CBA text): Options and early termination options must be exercised by 5:00 p.m. ET on June 29 before the season they cover; a player option that would otherwise leave the player a restricted free agent must be exercised before June 25.
An option that is exercised or declined, an extension that is signed, a trade that moves the contract, or a waiver removes a row from these lists. Veteran extensions depend on how long ago the contract was signed (Article VII, Section 7(a)(1), pp. 249–250) and rookie scale extensions have their own window (Article VII, Section 7(b)(1), p. 254); individual contracts can set earlier option dates than the agreement’s outside deadline.
Rule citations are to the 2023 NBA-NBPA Collective Bargaining Agreement (PDF dated 6-28-23) by article, section and printed page, read . Amber boxes quote the agreement; teal boxes are this site’s calculations or readings; text marked “Paraphrase (not CBA text)” is a plain-English summary. This table reflects the agreement as published in the June 28, 2023 PDF. Later amendments, side letters or league memoranda are not in that PDF and are not reflected here.
Snapshot notes and conflicts
This page does not correct one source with another. Where the displayed snapshot is limited, or disagrees with a rule, a league level or a companion source, the disagreement is listed here.
Hard-cap label source limitation (checked ): Requested Spotrac source returned an empty HTTP 202 response in direct retrieval and Chromium. Current 2026-27 Capsheets.com team pages explicitly identify hard-capped apron rows; plain apron rows mean no hard cap reported by that source. Only restriction labels were imported; all displayed salary amounts and apron thresholds remain the website snapshot. Restriction triggers are not supplied by these team pages. No prior-season hard caps carry forward.
Different retrieval dates: the salary table is the snapshot, while exception balances were retrieved and hard-cap labels were checked . A transaction between those dates can appear in one and not the other. Dead-money charges were retrieved .
Source reconciliation, 2029-30: the workbook's own Active Cap summary is $23,534,884 above the sum of the contract rows shown here. The rows are displayed as retrieved; the gap can reflect non-player charges or source contract classifications.
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