The 2026 NBA offseason continues to bring some of the most news in recent memory as the days progress. The Toronto Raptors are still being halted from trading for seven-time All-Star Kawhi Leonard; 10-time All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo was traded to the Miami Heat; 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers; and 22-time All-Star LeBron James left the Los Angeles Lakers to join Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid in Philadelphia. 

After four championships and 17 years with the Golden State Warriors, 12-time All-Star Stephen Curry has reportedly become frustrated with the franchise. This comes as a result of consistently missing out on available stars across the league, while the Warriors remain in the middle of the pack in the Western Conference. Most recently, though, the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder have made headlines for a different reason than any other franchise. 

Nuggets restricted free agent Spencer Jones agreed to a 2-year, $12 million deal with the Thunder, forcing Denver’s heads of basketball operations, Ben Tezner and Jon Wallace, to make a big decision. They did so swiftly by matching the offer sheet for Jones, which pushed the Nuggets into the dreaded second apron luxury tax line. While this zone is especially restrictive in all instances, it specifically deters Denver from proceeding normally with its offseason due to the situation involving restricted free agent Peyton Watson. 

Denver is practically unable to re-sign Watson because of the value he possesses, matched with the Nuggets' lack of cap space. The five highest-paid Nuggets are set to earn over $185.7 million next season, and with the salary cap set at just under $165 million, there is no room for Watson to remain in Denver. This means that he was more than likely going to depart in free agency via a sign-and-trade, but the second apron severely limits this aspect of the offseason. The Nuggets won’t be allowed to receive any players in return for Watson because they need to get under the second apron in order to do so. 

This forces the Nuggets’ hand in one way or another. Either they essentially lose their rising star for next to nothing, or they make a different trade to get under the second apron. It’s a situation no franchise wants to be in, but the Nuggets have to get rid of somebody in order to operate freely moving forward. The Thunder were in a similar situation this offseason, but they traded away key role players Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins before it was too late. 

Given that the Nuggets need to reset somewhat, it would make sense for them to start building for the future while maintaining three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. This is where the Raptors can capitalize on a struggling franchise and make their second blockbuster trade of the summer. The first trade brought back the legend that captured the franchise’s first and only championship, and this one can bring a Canadian superstar back to his home country. 

Toronto Raptors - Jamal Murray ($50.1 million) and Cameron Johnson ($23.1 million)

Denver Nuggets - Immanuel Quickley ($32.5 million) and RJ Barrett ($29.6 million)

In this situation, the Nuggets get younger and shed about $11 million, putting them well under the second apron tax line. Simultaneously, the Raptors get their star point guard to pair with Leonard and Scottie Barnes, further pushing forward their championship aspirations. 

To the naked eye, this trade could seem swayed in Toronto’s direction. The problem is that this provides significant salary-cap relief to Denver while being detrimental to Toronto’s. Taking on $11 million would put the Raptors into the first apron tax line, limiting them further when it comes to signing and trading players during the season. That’s the reason that there are no draft picks involved from either side; asking for any draft compensation would immediately shut down the trade from Toronto’s side. 

Is this general manager Bobby Webster’s preferred method of acquiring a star? No, definitely not. But not every franchise can call itself a championship contender, and the Raptors are right on the cusp and need to capitalize. If the Warriors are serious about trading away Curry, Toronto should be all in for him, especially because it’s a much easier trade from a salary cap perspective, even though they’d have to give up more. Assuming that doesn’t happen, it would be worth a shot for Webster to give the Nuggets a call to bring home the star point guard.