Nuggets dilemma creates tempting opportunities for the Pistons

If the Denver Nuggets want to avoid paying a massive tax bill next season, they will have to clear some money, which could create opportunities for the Detroit Pistons. 

Peyton Watson is a restricted free agent, and according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, this could cause a domino effect if they want to keep him: 

“...retaining Watson and keeping the current roster intact would push Denver far into the luxury tax. 

The Nuggets have never been big spenders, which is why the belief around the league is that Cameron Johnson (on an expiring $23 million deal) or Christian Braun (on a five-year, $125 million extension signed in the fall) is likely to be moved to create enough room..."

Johnson and Braun are the obvious names the Nuggets may want to move, but they could also go bigger and shake up the roster even more. They aren’t going to trade Jokic or Jamal Murray, but could Denver’s cap crunch force them to move a star? Or take peanuts on the dollar for a role player? 

The Pistons could just pursue Watson themselves, but there might be other options.

The Nuggets could try to move Aaron Gordon 

One way the Nuggets could avoid the tax is by moving Aaron Gordon, who only played 36 games this year. He was good when he played, but it wasn’t much, and he wasn’t even able to go for all of the playoffs. 

Given his age (he’ll be 31 in September) and recent injury history (87 games played in the last two seasons combined), he’d be a huge risk for whoever takes him on, especially with two more guaranteed years at $33 and 36 million and a player option for another 39 after that. 

If Gordon were healthy, he’d be perfect for Detroit, as he’s versatile defensively, can spread the floor with his shooting and is a proven veteran. If the Pistons were able to bring back Tobias Harris on a short deal, they could potentially platoon the two and try to keep them both healthy for the playoffs. 

But that’s a lot of breaks that have to go the right way, and that’s before you even get to the trade cost. He could be a bargain if Denver wants to clean their books, but he’s a big risk. 

Cameron Johnson could be a buy-low option with little risk 

Cameron Johnson just has one year left on his deal at $23 million, so wouldn’t represent any long-term risk to the Pistons. He only played 54 games this year but put up super-efficient shooting numbers when he did play. 

His injury-riddled season and expiring deal could lower the cost, especially if the Nuggets are mostly looking to dump salary. He’s another player who could potentially be platooned with Tobias Harris to reduce injury risk and have an insurance policy. 

Christian Braun might be a great low risk bet 

The Nuggets might have buyer’s remorse on a massive contract extension for Braun that doesn’t even kick in until next season. He was injured for part of the season as well but put up much worse numbers after securing his bag. The 3-point shooting was particularly concerning, as he dropped from 40 percent to 30, though he did still average 12 points per game. 

He also stunk in the playoffs, so the Nuggets may have some serious regret about inking him to a five-year extension so early. Braun will make between $21-28 million over the next five seasons, so if he gets back to form, it’s a decent value contract, but if not, it’s a cap killer. 

Would the Pistons want to take on the risk? They might be able to get him for practically nothing, hoping that his shooting touch and efficient movement shooting return, but that’s a five-year risk I doubt Trajan Langdon would want to take.  

There could be plenty of action around the Nuggets this offseason, but all of their guys come with potential red flags when it comes to injuries or salary. 

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