The defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets have to find a replacement for another key rotational piece following the announcement that reserve forward Vlatko Cancar was lost for the 2023-24 season. Cancar tore his ACL while playing for Slovenia in a 2023 FIBA tuneup game against Greece on August 4. According to Mike Singer of the Denver Post, Cancar recently underwent reconstruction surgery to repair the injury.
Vlatko Cancar underwent surgical reconstruction for the torn ACL in his left knee, Nuggets announce. He’ll be out indefinitely.
— Mike Singer (@msinger) August 17, 2023
NBA Rumors: How Will Denver Nuggets Replace Vlatko Cancar in Rotation?
While Cancar is officially listed as out indefinitely, it is pretty safe to say that he won’t play for the Nuggets this year. ACL tears typically have a recovery timeline of 12-plus months. Cancar had his best season for Denver last year as he finally broke into the Nuggets rotation. He ranked eighth on the team in games played and ninth in total minutes.
Cancar is an undersized big who is known for his shooting and toughness. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 5.0 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 15 minutes over 60 appearances over 60 games last season. He compiled a shooting slash line of .476/.580/.920.
Cancar was expected to have an increased role with the Nuggets this upcoming campaign. Denver lost Bruce Brown, Thomas Bryant, and Jeff Green in free agency.
Cancar is slated to make $2.2 million this year, marking the second season of his three-year, $6.8 million contract that he signed last year. The Nuggets hold a team option for next season at the same salary.
Denver has an entire 21-man training camp. Therefore, the Nuggets would have to waive a player to sign another. I don’t see that happening.
Denver is well into the NBA’s luxury tax. However, the Nuggets are $4.7 million below the league’s super tax. Fifteen of their players are on standard contracts, and all three of their two-way slots are filled.
Examining Denver Nuggets Training Camp Roster
Denver made several minor transactions this offseason. The Nuggets used their only draft pick on Pepperdine forward Maxwell Lewis in the second round but ended up with three draft picks. As part of a four-team deal, the Nuggets sent Lewis out and received Jalen Pickett, Julian Strawther, and Hunter Tyson as part of their haul.
The Nuggets also re-signed Justin Holiday, Reggie Jackson, and DeAndre Jordan. Jackson received a two-year deal, with the 2024-25 season being a player option. Collin Gillespie, Jay Huff, and Braxton Key are on two-way contracts. Meanwhile, Souley Boum, Armaan Franklin, and Andrew Funk are on Exhibit 10 training camp deals.
PG – Jamal Murray, Reggie Jackson, Jalen Pickett, Collin Gillespie (2-way), Armaan Franklin (TC)
SG – Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Christian Braun, Julian Strawther, Andrew Funk (TC), Souly Boum (TC)
SF- Michael Porter Jr., Peyton Watson, Justin Holiday, Braxton Key (2-way)
PF- Aaron Gordon, Zeke Nnaji, Hunter Tyson
C – Nikola Jokic, DeAndre Jordan, Jay Huff (2-way)
Despite Cancar’s injury, expect him to remain on the Nuggets 15-man roster. Franklin, Funk, and Boum are not ready for the NBA, and they are essentially part of the organization as an affiliate player if they end up with the G-League Grand Rapids Gold.
Huff may impress the Nuggets’ brass enough to earn a standard contract during training camp.
Projecting the Nuggets’ 10-man Rotation
Jokic, Gordon, Porter Jr., Caldwell-Pope, and Murray are the unquestioned starters. Braun, Jackson, Holiday, and Watson will likely lead the Nuggets’ second unit. Jackson will probably be the first backcourt player off the bench. The 6-foot-2 guard is Murray’s primary backup, but he can play alongside him as Murray would slide over to the two. Jackson, Murray, and KCP can also play, with Caldwell-Pope moving to the three.
The Nuggets fell in love with Braun last season. Braun, selected with the No. 21 overall pick, can play all three backcourt positions though he is essentially an emergency fill-in at the point. The 22-year-old guard shot the ball exceptionally well and held his own defensively. In 74 appearances, he averaged 4.7 points and 2.4 rebounds over 16 minutes while compiling a shooting slash line of .495/.354/.625.
Watson didn’t get as much run as Braun last year, but the final pick in the first round of the 2023 draft did enough for the Nuggets to see him as a significant contributor this year. The 20-year-old wing is long and athletic and shot the ball well last season though he did struggle in his two starts. He can play either wing spot and projects as a good defender.
Watson played exceptionally well in his two 2K24 summer league appearances, averaging 19 points with a shooting slash line of .522/.200/.813. Watson, who attempted 16 free throws, also averaged 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks in Vegas.
Holiday, along with Jackson, will be the leaders of the second unit. Holiday will likely be the first frontcourt player off the bench with Cancar unavailable. While a wing by trade, Holiday has played some power forward due to his versatility and toughness. The 34-year-old’s best attribute offensively is his 3-point shooting, as he makes 36% of his career attempts from long distance.
Nnaji and Jordan could battle to be the first big off the bench. Gordon can play some minutes when Jokic takes a break.
The Nuggets probably prefer Nnaji, who has been a part-time rotational player for the past two seasons. Nnaji could get a few more minutes this year with all the Nuggets’ off-season losses. He averaged 5.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in 57 games, including five starts, in 2022-23.
But Jordan played pretty well in 39 games for the Nugs a year ago. The 35-year-old compiled 5.1 points and 5.2 rebounds in 15 minutes of action in 2022-23. He also converted 76.5% of his field goal attempts and 76.3% of his free throws.
