Denver Nuggets Should Have Learned from San Antonio Spurs' Example

Even if you ignore the decades of history, the San Antonio Spurs are still the model for team building. They extended Keldon Johnson through 2026-27 on a team-friendly deal when he was the best player on the team, and did the same to Devin Vassell. They will likely do the same with Jeremy Sochan, before inking Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle to maximum contract extensions.

Basically, the Spurs don't shell out money for anything. Vassell and Johnson will have the first several years of their NBA career to prove their worth, and the Spurs retain them the entire time. The 2023 NBA Champion Denver Nuggets currently have Nikola Jokic, Michael Porter Jr, and now Jamal Murray signed to massive deals, and Aaron Gordon doesn't come cheap either.

There is no doubt that Jokic is the best basketball player in the world, but now his overpriced supporting cast has stopped the Nuggets from building any sort of depth behind him. A second unit comprised of Russell Westbrook, Julian Strawther, Peyton Watson, Hunter Tyson, and DeAndre Jordan isn't exactly title-worthy. By the time Porter Jr is off the books, Jokic will be 32. By the time Murray's deal is up, he will be 34.

The Nuggets should have taken a page from the Spurs' book. Murray and Porter Jr. are both good players, but neither has been an All-Star before and are hardly stars, let alone superstars. The Spurs have their franchise cornerstone in Victor Wembanyama and have made roster flexibility their chief priority. They can easily trade away players or sign new ones since their current roster is not very expensive.

Once Castle and Wemby are due for extensions, that will change, but for now, San Antonio controls its own destiny.

Related: Outlining the Path for Stephon Castle to Start for the San Antonio Spurs

The age of player empowerment is a good thing. Players can command their market value and set themselves up for financial success, but front offices need to realize that they can walk away from the negotiating table. If players want to win rings, pay cuts are almost always necessary. The Spurs, through the selflessness of Robinson, Dunan, Parker, and Ginobili, have been demonstrating that since 1997.