Nuggets reject Vlatko Cancar’s option, but he ought to return
The Denver Nuggets are in the first real stage of their set of moves this summer, and to lead it off the team had a strange scenario in which a declined team option behooved both club and player to a return.
On Sunday, the Nuggets declined their option for the 2024-25 season on bench forward Vlatko Cancar, but just hours later the Gazette reported that Denver still intends for Cancar to be a part of the Nuggets. Thanks to a unique quirk in the rules, Cancar was actually set to make less than the league minimum on the option to conclude the contract term that he signed years ago. With the declined option, Denver can pay Cancar more money based on service while also actually facing a smaller dollar amount against the salary cap and tax. Thus it benefited both sides to draw up a new deal, which hasn’t happened yet but is expected.
Cancar could technically leave the Nuggets in free agency early next month but coming off a torn ACL and not an eye-popping player to most, a departure seems unlikely. Cancar is one of two NBA players for Slovenia with the other being NBA MVP candidate Luka Doncic, who led the Mavs to the NBA Finals. This always leads to some speculation that the countrymen could link up.
The two will be playing with each other internationally for their home country of Slovenia as they work to get their squad through the Olympic qualification tournament in Piraeus, Greece. That event is set for early July and will mark the first game action for Cancar since the Nuggets Swiss army knife off the bench went down in an international exhibition game last summer to a torn ACL.
The 27-year-old was a contributor to the champion Nuggets, playing in 60 games, scoring five points a game on 37% shooting from deep with a few big-time dunks while adding an ability to connect many plays together. The Nuggets clearly missed the 6-8 player in their repeat bid. While he’s primarily played power forward, he’s played the two, three and five in the NBA too. In 2023-24, Cancar would’ve likely been the backup power forward and taken Jeff Green’s role from the year before. Without Cancar, Denver got a nice year from rookie Peyton Watson, but the team shortened their bench earlier into the season, which may have contributed to just how tired the team was in the playoffs.
Cancar would be a very nice addition to the Nuggets roster and he’s a player Michael Malone and Nikola Jokic trust. The forward’s recovery over the next several weeks is something the Nuggets will be watching closely as too is his contract situation.
The Nuggets made another move Monday, with Reggie Jackson rejoining the team by picking up his option. The big decision which is Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s option comes later this month.
