A Minor Roster Trim, A Much Bigger Number to Watch
Lonnie Walker IV's departure barely moves Denver's roster; Nikola Jokic's cold shooting stretch is the number worth tracking before games start counting.
Denver waived Lonnie Walker IV on October 13, a $3.3 million move that changes little about a roster carrying $221.1 million in salary, above the league's luxury-tax line. The more interesting number belongs to Nikola Jokic, who has shot just 17 percent from three over his last five games heading into two preseason road trips before the October 22 opener at Oklahoma City.
Why the Walker move barely registers
Walker's exit leaves Denver's wing depth thinner by one name but doesn't touch the group that matters: Murray, Braun, Johnson, Gordon and DeRozan are the five Adelman leans on. The real financial story is the $221.1 million payroll, sitting above the league's luxury-tax line of $200.4 million, a position that limits what Denver can still do in-season.
Jokic's three-point stretch, by the number
Jokic shot 38.0 percent from three across all of last season. Over his last five outings, that number is 17 percent, a sample too small to call a trend but too sharp a drop to ignore. Denver can survive a cold jumper when the passing and rebounding produce a line like the 22 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists he put up against Chicago on October 11, but a healthy outside shot widens every driving lane Murray and Gordon use.
Spencer Jones, and the return date that matters
Jones has been sidelined with a hamstring and leg issue since October 2, with an expected return of October 14, the same day Denver plays at the Clippers. His minutes had climbed before the injury, evidence Adelman trusts him in stretches when the rotation thins. Whether that trust survives a healthy roster is still unanswered.
What camp hasn't settled
A hoopsrumors report on October 12 grouped Gordon, DeRozan, Julian Strawther and Alpha Diallo under one headline without detail, a sign the rotation behind the stars is still being sorted. Denver has two preseason games left, against the Clippers and the Lakers, before the answers start to count on October 22 at Oklahoma City.
Why did the Nuggets waive Lonnie Walker IV?
Denver waived Walker on October 13; the move trims a $3.3 million salary off a roster already above the league's luxury-tax line.
Is Nikola Jokic's shooting slump a concern?
His three-point percentage has fallen to 17 percent over his last five games, well below his 38.0 percent mark from last season, but the sample is small and the games are preseason.
