big honey and the nuggets

its a cold world

he needs to be better

in sportsblab radio a local 50 y/o, reasonably dignified host told of riding an elevator in a jokic singlet when— on strolled joker.

host described wanting to die, but bravely making the smallest of smalltalk. as they partied ways, jokic said matter-of-factly, and way off topic, “it’s too small” and strode away.

re: a post I made after the nuggets fell behind 0-2:

3) this is something that merits a longer and more careful excavation, but malone and calvin booth don’t seem to have the same vision for this team. the nuggets drafted three guys this offseason, only one of whom (strawther) probably had any chance of getting real playoff minutes, but for some reason signed all three to full deals rather than two-ways. despite that, malone never really seriously gave strawther a chance to crack the rotation at the end of the season, so we’re stuck with reggie playing important minutes when it could not be more clear that a) he’s not good enough and b) he does not fit their system. and signing the other guys to full deals instead of two-ways when they weren’t going to be playoff rotation players seems to have been a big mistake when the team obviously needed to shore up their bench somehow

KOC takes a similar angle:

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2024/5/21/24161611/denver-nuggets-offseason-2024-calvin-booth-michael-malone

Nikola Jokic update pic.twitter.com/WXMQj47c1s

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 13, 2024

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Nuggets

Caldwell-Pope has a player option for $15.4 million that he’d be likely to decline because he can make in the $20 million to $25 million range annually on a new deal. However, the Nuggets might prefer to keep him locked in on that salary for one more year — which would help with the luxury tax and possibly let them skirt the second apron — and instead sign an extension off that number, even if it overpays him in the out years.

For instance, a four-year, $97 million extension — the maximum he’s eligible to receive — would essentially equal five years and $112 million in free agency for Caldwell-Pope or about $22.4 million a year. That would pay him until age 36 — wild stuff for a fifth option who averaged 10 points a game.

Of course, the Nuggets could just agree to a standard new deal with Caldwell-Pope, but it would seem that for virtually any dollar amount in an agreement, Denver should spread that money further into the future and keep that $15.4 million cap hit in 2024-25. As a result, don’t be shocked to see him opt in to the deal in late June with an extension agreed to and then sign the extension when he becomes eligible on July 16. If he opts out at the end of this month, take it as a sign that he’s probably gone.

NBA Champion Deandre Jordan on getting to know Nikola Jokic.

"I can't fuck it up, because if not, he's gonna be like - you're not black serbian." pic.twitter.com/Lwqfqw55h0

— n i k o l a e s t h e t i c (@nikolaesthetic) June 24, 2024

thing I love about this team is the sheer number of normal good dudes on the roster — DJ, jokic, and AG have to all be on the top 20 chill supportive teammates all star team

someone gotta offset that MPJ weirdo energy

jamal’s a bit of a weirdo too — his psycho kobe energy is needed on the court and maybe the locker room but in terms of guys you’d want to chill with he’d prob be last lol

jordanovic

are the nugs gonna let kcp go due to apron considerations, are they going to do something else

I’m waiting pretty eagerly to see how it plays out, and I’ve seen such conflicting reporting that I feel like I have no idea what’s going to happen. it seems clear he’ll decline the player option, but whether that’s to extend or to test the market is hard to say. they have his bird rights so as long as they’re willing to go into the second apron (for him, and for jamal and AG), the core could stay together through the end of jokic’s prime. which at the end of the day is imo the most important thing — the opportunity costs the second apron imposes are worth considering tho

hope they dont have to break the band up over some accounting bs

the country needs celtics nuggets.

btw I got a fat lever rainbow jersey for my birthday, I will be behind enemy lines in LA until the foreseeable future so wish me luck

ha nice

V nice