Zeke Nnaji was the Denver Nuggets' first-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, but he's never come close to the kind of potential that he offered the Nuggets when coming out of Arizona in college. 

Instead, Nnaji has been a perennial low-bench player that Denver has never been able to truly make work in the six seasons he's been in the league, and he's truly only been on the decline the last few season with just 3.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.5 blocks per game averaged during the 2025-26 season. 

That steady decline should all-but decide Nnaji's fate as a non-factor for the Nuggets to ideally move in from, but that decline is also why they haven't been able to move on from him as he doesn't much value as a trade piece for the rest of the league either and with an average salary of $8 million for next season with a player option available to him the season after that, Nnaji has become a costly, yet empty, roster spot. 

But a recent report could show an out for the Nuggets that would also help them in one of their main missions this offseason, conducting a sign-and-trade with Peyton Watson, a restricted free agent who broke out on the Nuggets last season and has been their biggest target this offseason.

With the Nuggets' chances at signing Watson looking increasingly thin, a sign-and-trade is another option that lets them at least get some value out of Watson and a recent report from HoopsHype indicates that it such a move could help them shed Nnaji as well by working with a certain rebuilding team in the Eastern Conference. 

“While the Bucks haven’t offered a first-round pick yet, they’d consider absorbing Nuggets forward Zeke Nnaji as part of a Watson sign-and-trade, HoopsHype has learned. Nnaji is owed a combined $14.93 million with two seasons remaining on his contract, including a player option for the 2027-28 season," Michael Scotto wrote (via HoopsHype). 

One of the main obstacles for the Nuggets in their pursuit of a Watson sign-and-trade has been their heavy price, likely involving some combination of a player and first-round pick or multiple first and second-round picks, which the Bucks have to bargain with, especially after trading Giannis Antetokounmpo, but may not be willing to part with.

The alternative of absorbing Nnaji's contract and saving the Nuggets a serious amount of payroll, something they need considering they're one of few teams slated to be in the second apron next season, is one that could be hugely helpful for the Nuggets. 

By doing such a deal, the Nuggets would be solving two problems at once and making some forward progress in lightening their payroll, even if they haven't been all that productive in adding impact players this offseason.