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Denver Nuggets Make Strategic Trade to Free Up Salary Cap

In a move aimed at creating more flexibility under the salary cap, the Denver Nuggets have traded Reggie Jackson to the Charlotte Hornets. The trade also includes three second-round draft picks for 2025, 2029, and 2030, enhancing the Hornets' future prospects.

"This trade was all about making room to retain key players," said an insider familiar with the Nuggets' strategy.

Jackson's Role and Performance

Reggie Jackson had recently accepted his player option worth $5.25 million, securing his place for the next season. Last season, Jackson played in all 82 regular-season games, starting in 23 of them. He averaged 10.2 points and 3.8 assists in 22.2 minutes per game. However, his performance dipped in the postseason, where he averaged only 3.5 points and 1.0 assists in 9.8 minutes.

Nuggets Eye Caldwell-Pope

The trade appears to be part of a larger strategy to retain Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who is expected to decline his $15.4 million player option to become a free agent. The Nuggets are keen on keeping Caldwell-Pope, and freeing up cap space by trading Jackson is a step in that direction.

"Kentavious has been a crucial part of our team, and we are doing everything we can to keep him," said a source close to the team management.

Jackson's Career Journey

Jackson, who was drafted 24th overall in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder, has had a journeyman career. After spending three and a half seasons with the Thunder, he moved to the Detroit Pistons (2014-15 to 2019-20), and then to the Los Angeles Clippers (2019-20 to 2022-23) before being traded to Denver in February 2023. Over 853 NBA games (529 as a starter), Jackson has averaged 12.6 points and 4.2 assists per game.

What This Means for Both Teams

The trade allows Denver to focus on keeping their core players intact while giving Charlotte some valuable draft assets and a seasoned player in Jackson. For the Hornets, this move could significantly impact their roster depth and future strategy.

Editor: Emiliia Morozova