The Denver Nuggets made a bookkeeping move before today’s trade deadline that also doubles as a way to potentially add an extra player, as per Shams Charania at ESPN they traded forward Hunter Tyson and a 2032 second-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick and some desired salary space to avoid the tax this year.
Currently that second-round pick from either the Clippers or Hawks would be in the mid-40s, which would allow Denver to draft a player who would likely not fall out of the draft for them to pick up on a two-way. So moving that pick forward from 2032 is a decent bit of business in their attempt to fill out the back end of the roster next year, but more importantly (to the Kroenkes, and therefore to constructing this year’s team) the Nuggets now have the room under the tax to convert forward Spencer Jones from his two-way deal to a full NBA contract. Jones was just active for his 50th game of the season and is not available to play again until his contract is converted, so this is good news for the Nuggets as well as Spencer’s bank account.
Bennett Durando at the Denver Post also reports that Denver would like to add another veteran on a buyout if possible to fill the last open roster spot. They can both add a buyout player and sign Jones to his new NBA deal and stay under the tax, so the roster moves for the season may not be complete.
In the process, the Nuggets say farewell to Hunter Tyson, their second-round draft pick from 2023 who was never able to replicate his college shooting with the Nuggets and found himself overmatched when trying to play in the paint against the bigger NBA-level players. Hopefully he’s able to continue his hustle and on-court development in Brooklyn with expanded court time that the competing Nuggets were never able to offer him. Michael Porter Jr. will be there to welcome him to the locker room, so at least he’ll have that familiarity.
But for Denver this gives more playing time to Jones, who has been a vital part of Denver staying afloat without Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun for most of the year, and also allows the Nuggets to look for a discarded piece from another squad that might be able to help them the rest of the way.
Because for Denver, everything is about making it to the playoffs and finding success there. This is a small step, but even small steps are useful. Hopefully their next trade is for continued health the rest of the way.
