Nuggets Owner Ridiculed For Bringing Up Nikola Jokic Trade
Nuggets owner has quite the snafu.
Denver Nuggets owner Josh Kroenke risks becoming the next Nico Harrison (not in a flattering way).
Kroenke discussed salary cap strategies, invoking the name of Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets’ biggest star and perennial league MVP, when addressing front-office decisions. Even Kroenke acknowledged the audacity of considering such a move of trading Jokic … yet he entertained the idea, and fans hated it.
Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
Kroenke stated, "For us, as an organization, going into that second apron is not necessarily something that we're scared of. I think there are rules around it that we need to be very careful of with our injury history."
After Luka Doncic’s shocking trade out of Dallas, the NBA trade market seemed to have exhausted its surprises — until the team owner mentioned the possibility of a Jokic trade.
WATCH:
"The wrong person gets injured, and very quickly, you're in the scenario that I never want to have to contemplate, and that's trading number 15 (Nikola Jokic). We're very conscious of that pushing forward."
"This could be the worst possible thing an owner could say in a press conference wtf," one fan posted on X.
More chimed in: "Uh…. Why in the world would you even say this?" … "We have the worst owner in the NBA" …
The NBA’s apron system imposes salary cap limits, penalizing high-spending teams with taxes, trade restrictions, and roster-building challenges to maintain league competitiveness.
Denver Nuggets owner Josh Kroenke. (Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
With a well-paid roster including Jokic ($55M AAV), Jamal Murray ($46M AAV), Michael Porter Jr. ($35M AAV) and Aaron Gordon ($22M AAV), the Nuggets face tough decisions to stay under the apron and avoid penalties.
Trading Jokic would devastate the fan base overnight, and Kroenke would undoubtedly become persona non grata in the Mile High City.
Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
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