Takeaways from the Nuggets' end-of-season press conference: Will Kentavious Caldwell-Pope return?

Here’s what you need to know from the Denver Nuggets’ end-of-season press conference on Thursday where head coach Michael Malone, GM Calvin Booth, and Josh Kroenke discussed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s future, Denver’s playoff loss to the Timberwolves, and much more.

Will KCP return?

It’s the question that will shape the rest of the Nuggets’ offseason. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has a $15.4 million player option for next year that he’s expected to decline ahead of the June 29th deadline. And he’ll likely have several suitors who have put aside cap space for this summer. I’d expect the 76ers, Spurs, and Pistons to all potentially be interested in Caldwell-Pope’s services.

The Nuggets have to decide how badly they need Caldwell-Pope back and how willing they are to go into the second luxury tax apron to make that happen. If teams are in the second luxury tax apron, which the Nuggets certainly will be if Caldwell-Pope returns, they’re under these restrictions:

• No longer able to use the taxpayer mid-level exception.
• Salaries cannot be aggregated or combined to trade for a single player making more money.
• Teams can’t use trade exceptions created from a prior year.
• Teams can no longer use cash in trades.
• Their 1st round pick will automatically move to the end of the round if in the second apron in two out of five seasons.
• 1st round picks seven years out — a valuable asset for capped-out contenders — cannot be traded.

DNVR asked Calvin Booth if the Nuggets are willing to go into the second apron to re-sign Caldwell-Pope. Here’s what he said about how Denver’s priorities stack up: “For me personally, it’s win a championship, one. Two, we have to look at the overall financial picture. And three, the second apron. KCP has been a great addition the last couple of years. We obviously would love to have him back.”

Josh Kroenke followed up by saying that when you have Nikola Jokic on you’re roster, “You’re going for (a championship),” in response to a question about the second apron. If Caldwell-Pope does leave, it’s assumed Christian Braun will step into the starting shooting guard spot. The Nuggets want him to improve his 3-point shot this summer.

“He’s ahead of schedule in that regard,” Booth said about Braun’s development and potential to become a starter.

Regrets from last season’s chase for the No. 1 seed

The prevailing thought from those within the organization who have spoken with DNVR since the season ended is that the biggest reason for the Nuggets’ second-round playoff exit is Denver ran out of gas. That was pretty obvious to everyone watching the second half of Game 7. I think it can also explain the Nuggets’ lackluster Round 1 vs. the Lakers. Denver didn’t have a switch to flip once the playoffs started. Unlike last year, the Nuggets looked like they had no extra juice this postseason.

Malone took some responsibility for that when reflecting on the Nuggets’ post All-Star break push for the No. 1 seed.

“Our guys looked dead tired. They did. Did I run our players into the ground? I’m sure that’s definitely part of it,” Malone said. “That’s the decision we made and we’ll live with it.”

This is the biggest area where the Nuggets need to realign themselves this offseason. Malone and Booth clearly weren’t on the same page about the Nuggets pacing themselves throughout the regular season, using the entire roster, and conserving energy for the playoffs. Will they be going forward? We’ll see. I don’t think we can guarantee that. But it’s a positive Malone said this today, because he’s right.

Malone had some direct comments about Jamal Murray’s season, playoffs, overall health, and getting back to the best version of himself next year too: “The only way he can do that, for any player, is being in the gym and working, and having a routine, having routine discipline, with your body, with your game, with your craft,” Malone said.

Malone wants to find ways to lighten the load on Jokic, Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Denver’s starters next year. That feels like it will be the theme heading into next season. Booth wants to get the rest of the roster more minutes.

“More than anything our rookies need more seasoning,” Booth said.

The sense is that the Nuggets are running it back

Denver’s offseason is just starting and I don’t think the Nuggets have even held their big, end-of-season, wrap-up meetings yet that will shape their summer. There are still a lot of ways the Nuggets could go in re-tooling their roster. But I don’t get the sense that there are major moves, like a significant trade, coming.

I don’t think the Nuggets have had any serious conversations about trading Michael Porter Jr. I don’t think that’s a direction they’ll really think about going either. It’s mostly going to be about internal development — and what the Nuggets can get in return for Zeke Nnaji and/or Reggie Jackson. I think that’s a trade still very likely to happen.

There was some strong Julian Strawther buzz today. An MCL sprain knocked Strawther out of the lineup in January, but the Nuggets know they need him to make a jump this summer. I think Denver hopes he plays the role that Peyton Watson did this season as the 8th/9th man. Watson would then get bumped up in minutes, especially if Caldwell-Pope signs elsewhere.