Denver Nuggets Nearly Made Kevin Durant Decision During Offseason

Nuggetsโ€™ Offseason Ambition: The KD Pursuit

Every championship window brings big ambitions. For the Nuggets, reigning on the strength of Nikola Jokiฤ‡โ€™s generational dominance, the 2025 offseason ignited whispers of an audacious move: trading for Kevinโ€ฏDurantโ€”the two-time Finals MVP, 15-time All-Star, and one of the most efficient scorers in NBA history .

Durantโ€™s name quickly grabbed headlines. With the Suns stumbling into the Western Conference playโ€‘in despite their star-studded roster, multiple teamsโ€”including Miami, Spurs, Heat, Timberwolves, Bucks, and notably Denverโ€”โ€œphoned around to gauge the price tagโ€ on KD . Internally, Nuggets analysts and voices saw the allure clearly: a joining of HOF-caliber scorers in Jokiฤ‡ + Durant would form a matchup nightmare and elevate Denver to unassailable heights in the West .

๐Ÿ’ฐ Big Rewards, Big Complications

1. Salary Cap & Asset Constraints

Durant, entering the final year of a $54.7โ€ฏmillion contract, brought with him a hefty financial commitment . The Nuggets, already hovering near the luxury tax threshold, would have needed to land-cost match by packaging out significant salaryโ€”likely through Michael Porter Jr. ($38m), Peyton Watson, Dario ล ariฤ‡, Zeke Nnaji, and potentially draft pick compensation . Even then, they’d rely heavily on a third team to clean up cap issues .

2. Roster Depth and Age

Nikola Jokiฤ‡ himself emphasized the need for a deeper rotation post-โ€œGameโ€ฏ7 exit to OKC,โ€ pointing to bench depth as a key to competing . Swapping rotational players and first-round picks for one allโ€‘in star would risk gutting depth during grueling playoff stretches. And with Durant turning 37 before the next season tipโ€‘off, the move risked becoming short-sighted .

3. Contract Duration & Longโ€‘Term Fit

Durantโ€™s oneโ€‘year contract meant Denver would be chasing a fleeting horsepowerโ€”unless they believed KD would re-sign under the new CBA, something far from guaranteed. That uncertainty made further core bundle moves precarious .

๐Ÿ“ˆ What Could Have Been: Proposed Deals

Speculation boiled over with mock trade frameworks. One example circulated on ClutchPoints: Durant for Porter Jr., Watson, plus a 2031 first-rounder and 2025 second-rounder . Another from EssentiallySports suggested a package including Porter Jr., ล ariฤ‡, Watson, Nnaji, plus multiple picks to clear cap room .

Ex-NBA forward Theo Pinson even sketched out a Nuggets blueprint: send Jamal Murray, MPJ, plus picks to Phoenix, receive Durant in return, then add veteran role pieces (e.g., Bruce Brown, Dennis Schrรถder) .

That vision, though aggressive, showed Denver was deeply evaluating optionsโ€”even if those options came at a steep price.

๐Ÿง  Fits & Friction: Jokic + Durant?

On paper, pairing Jokiฤ‡ with Durant creates one of the most potent dynamic duos the NBA has ever seen. Jokicโ€™s playmaking wizardry and elite feel would mesh seamlessly with KDโ€™s off-ball movement, spacing, and fearless scoring . Fans drooled at the mere possibility (โ€œโ€ฆyou canโ€™t guard him if Kevin Durantโ€™s there,โ€ Pinson asserted ).

Yet, real concerns loomed:

Role adjustment: Durant is accustomed to high usage. Could he fit into Jokicโ€™s pass-first, egalitarian offenseโ€”especially for just one year?

Durability: At 36โ€“37 and with a mile-long injury log, the luxury tax burn might outweigh a diminished or incomplete postseason contribution .

Depth impact: As Denver would have to sacrifice rotation players to land KD, their bench would likely weakenโ€”countering Jokicโ€™s stated plan .

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