The Nuggets are reportedly likely to trade Zeke Nnaji and attach draft capital to his contract in order to move below the second apron following the signing of DeMar DeRozan.
The Denver Nuggets could be forced into another roster move after adding DeMar DeRozan.
Position
C, PF
Age
25
Height
211 cm
Weight
109 kg
Birth place
United States of America
According to NBA reporter Evan Sidery, Denver is likely to trade Zeke Nnaji in an attempt to move back below the second apron.
The Nuggets are also expected to surrender draft capital to find a team willing to take on the 25-year-old forward/center’s contract.
Nnaji is owed approximately $7.5 million for the 2026-27 season and holds a $7.5 million player option for 2027-28.
That contract has become increasingly difficult for Denver to carry because Nnaji has remained a limited part of the rotation while the Nuggets continue managing an expensive roster built around Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon.
DeRozan signing creates additional financial pressure
Denver recently signed DeRozan to a one-year, $3.9 million contract after the six-time All-Star became available following his departure from the Sacramento Kings.
Although DeRozan’s veteran-minimum deal carries only a $2.4 million cap charge, ESPN’s Bobby Marks calculated that the signing leaves Denver approximately $3.15 million above the second apron with a projected luxury-tax bill of around $75 million.
The NBA’s second apron for the 2026-27 season is set at $221.686 million.
Teams operating above that threshold face significant roster-building restrictions, including limitations involving trades and salary aggregation.
Moving Nnaji’s $7.5 million salary would therefore provide Denver with significant breathing room and allow the organization to drop below the second apron following the DeRozan addition.
It would also reduce an already substantial tax bill while moving a salary belonging to a player who has not established himself as a regular member of Denver’s rotation.
Credit Ariana Ruiz/PI via ZUMA Press Wire – Scanpix
Nnaji has spent entire NBA career with Nuggets
Denver selected Nnaji with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft following one season at Arizona.
The 6-foot-10 big man has spent all six of his NBA seasons with the Nuggets and was part of the roster that won the 2023 NBA championship.
Denver originally viewed Nnaji as a developmental frontcourt piece and rewarded him with a four-year, $32 million rookie-scale extension in October 2023. The deal began with the 2024-25 season and included a player option in its final year.
However, Nnaji has never developed into a consistent high-minute contributor.
During the 2025-26 season, he appeared in 52 games, including four starts, and averaged 3.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 12.0 minutes per game. He shot 47.0% from the field and 25.9% from three-point range.
Across 303 career regular-season appearances, Nnaji has averaged 4.1 points and 2.3 rebounds while shooting 50.3% from the field and 34.5% from beyond the arc.
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