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![\"Zeke](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-396124-plsm.jpg\")
\n <\/a><\/p>\n
\n Position
\n C, PF\n <\/p>\n
\n Age
\n 25\n <\/p>\n
\n Height
\n 211 cm\n <\/p>\n
\n Weight
\n 109 kg\n <\/p>\n
\n Birth place
\n United States of America\n <\/p>\n
According to NBA reporter Evan Sidery<\/a>, Denver is likely to trade Zeke Nnaji in an attempt to move back below the second apron.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Nnaji is owed approximately $7.5 million for the 2026-27 season and holds a $7.5 million player option for 2027-28.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n DeRozan signing creates additional financial pressure <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The NBA’s second apron for the 2026-27 season is set at $221.686 million.<\/p>\n Teams operating above that threshold face significant roster-building restrictions, including limitations involving trades and salary aggregation.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Credit Ariana Ruiz\/PI via ZUMA Press Wire – Scanpix<\/p>\n Nnaji has spent entire NBA career with Nuggets <\/p>\n Denver selected Nnaji with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft following one season at Arizona.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n However, Nnaji has never developed into a consistent high-minute contributor.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Like what we are doing? You can express your gratitude here.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-395776-any780x600.jpg\")
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