Reggie Jackson (7) of the Denver Nuggets takes a breather towards the Minnesota Timberwolvesduring the second quarter at Ball Area in Denver on Saturday, Might 4, 2024. (Picture by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Put up)
The Nuggets traded backup level guard Reggie Jackson and three future second-round draft picks to the Charlotte Hornets for money concerns Thursday in a maneuver that gives Denver wage cap aid earlier than NBA free company, a league supply informed The Denver Put up.
Denver despatched out its 2025, 2029 and 2030 second-round picks within the commerce.
Earlier this week, Jackson picked up a $5.25 million participant choice to return for the 2024-25 season. The Nuggets initially signed him in February 2023 after Jackson reached a contract buyout with Charlotte, the place he had simply been traded from the Clippers. The Nuggets then re-signed Jackson on a two-year deal final summer time.
After buying and selling three different second-rounders to Phoenix on Wednesday with a view to transfer up within the first spherical of the 2024 draft for DaRon Holmes II, Denver’s solely remaining future draft choose obtainable to commerce is a 2031 first-round choose.
Jackson, 34, performed in each regular-season and playoff sport in 2023-24, averaging 10.2 factors and three.8 assists. He shot 43.1% from the sphere and 35.9% from three, efficiencies that plummeted after an distinctive first two months of the season when Jamal Murray was injured. Earlier than his struggles and finally restricted playoff minutes, Jackson’s best second in a Nuggets uniform got here final November, when he and DeAndre Jordan led a short-handed squad to an unlikely win on the Clippers. Jackson registered 35 factors and 13 assists within the win whereas Nikola Jokic and Murray have been each out.
The Palmer Excessive College alum gained his first profession NBA championship as a reserve for his hometown staff in 2023. He has been within the league for 13 years, showing in video games for 4 groups.
Factoring within the commerce of Jackson, the addition of Holmes with the twenty second choose, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s opt-out and the possible one-year minimal contract incoming for Vlatko Cancar, the Nuggets could have 12 roster spots crammed at a payroll of round $172 million.
That’s narrowly above the posh tax line for 2024-25, inserting Denver under the primary tax apron and about $18 million under the second apron with free company looming. The commerce of Jackson specifically will present some flexibility for Denver’s try at re-signing Caldwell-Pope, however maybe extra notably, it additionally provides extra cap area to signal different gamers if the Nuggets lose KCP.
Clemson, Creighton stars signal two-way contracts
The Nuggets additionally signed Creighton’s Trey Alexander and Clemson’s PJ Corridor to two-way contracts Thursday, a supply informed The Put up. They’ve one two-way spot remaining.
Corridor was a projected second-round choose who went un-drafted after averaging 18.3 factors and 6.4 rebounds per sport final season. The 6-8 energy ahead led Clemson to the Elite Eight within the 2024 NCAA Event and can now reunite with former faculty teammate Hunter Tyson, whom the Nuggets drafted final yr. Corridor was No. 45 on The Athletic’s draft board.
Alexander led Creighton to the Elite Eight the earlier yr, with a cease at Ball Area alongside the way in which. In his third and last season of faculty ball, the 6-4 guard averaged 17.6 factors, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per sport. He was No. 44 on The Athletic’s board.