2017 Denver Nuggets

Written by Paul Banks of the Washington Times, David Kay and Peter Christian of the The Sports Bank. Send Paul an e-mail here: paulb05 AT hotmail DOT com.
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Denver Nuggets (Last Year: 40-42)

2017-18 Projected Depth Chart:

C: *Mason Plumlee

PF: Nikola Jokic/Kenneth Faried/Darrell Arthur/Juan Hernangomez

SF: Wilson Chandler/Will Barton

SG: Gary Harris/Jamal Murray/Malik Beasley

PG: Emmanuel Mudiay/Jameer Nelson

NBA Free Agents:

SF-Danilo Gallinari (UFA)

C-Roy Hibbert (UFA)

*SG-Mike Miller (TO)

2017-18 Team Salary: Approximately $55.2 million

NBA Offseason Team Needs:

1. How Much is Gallinari Worth?: Gallinari led Denver in scoring last season, but he is an unrestricted free agent this summer. His ability to stretch defenses will make him an attractive target this summer, and the Nuggets need to figure out how much they are willing to offer someone who has been plagued by injuries but knows how to score the rock when healthy.

2. How Much is Plumlee Worth?: Mason Plumlee was acquired prior to the trade deadline, but is a restricted free agent, and Gary Harris is eligible for his rookie extension as well. Plumlee will likely get an offer in the ballpark of $16-20 million per year, so Denver has a decision to make there. If the Nuggets decide the price tag is too much, they will need to find a new center.

3. Maintain Cap Flexibility: With Nikola Jokic and Garry Harris coming up on rookie extensions and deserved pay raises, Denver needs to be smart in not blowing too much of its cap space in preparation for the summer of 2018.