The Nuggets enter August with a lot of unresolved topics.
Denver won 54 games last season and still walked out of the first round empty handed, losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves in six games.
A finish like that usually forces a front office into bold moves over the summer, but the Nuggets have mostly sat still since free agency opened, and three separate storylines now hang over the franchise as training camp gets closer.
None of these problems are brand new, but they came into sharper focus in July, and how Denver handles them will decide whether this team gets back to being a real threat in the West or slides toward the middle of the pack.
Jokic's Timeline
Nikola Jokic could have signed a four year extension worth 278 million dollars this summer, but he chose to wait, and he explained why to reporters back home in Serbia.
"My idea and desire is to stay in Denver. I'll probably sign next year."
That patience makes sense for him personally, since waiting until next summer makes him eligible for a five year deal worth close to 359.5 million dollars, which would be the richest contract in league history.
But it also means Denver spends another season without a signature on paper from the player who averaged 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists a game last season.
That's not really Jokic's problem to fix. He has earned the right to maximize his own deal.
The burden falls on the front office to build a roster strong enough that waiting never turns into a real risk down the road.
The Peyton Watson Standoff
Denver has offered restricted free agent Peyton Watson a five year deal worth 70 million dollars, but his camp has taken its time, and rival teams including the Hawks, Clippers and Bucks have floated sign and trade offers to pry him away.
Watson stepped into a bigger role last season and averaged 14.6 points and 4.9 rebounds a game while providing switchable defense this roster has lacked in the playoffs.
Letting him walk for nothing would be a self inflicted wound, especially with Denver's front office still working through the negotiation in public view.
The front office says it wants him back, and team officials have tried to project confidence about the roster as a whole, but confidence does not sign a contract.
Watson needs to be in a Nuggets uniform when camp opens, not still stuck on paperwork in September.
The Tax Bill
Denver is staring down a luxury tax bill that could reach 177 million dollars in repeater penalties under one scenario, and a number that big forces hard conversations about who stays and who gets moved.
With four players tying up the bulk of the cap, the front office has to find value on minimum deals just to fill out a rotation, and that approach has already produced a thin backup point guard spot behind Jamal Murray.
Ownership can afford the tax bill, but paying it only works if the roster justifies the cost.
Denver still has the best player alive, and the rest of the summer needs to prove everyone around him is worth the price tag too.
