# @denversports1043 on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DbTeOAGDqoO
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/68348323-denversports1043-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/d3ca977e1a.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-07-27T17:11:58.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Denver Sports 104.3 (@denversports1043) — https://gondola.cc/denversports1043

## Caption

UPDATE: The Denver Nuggets are the NBA’s lone team in the second apron. 

With the Nuggets’ decision to match the two-year, $12 million offer sheet for Spencer Jones, they find themselves in the dreaded second apron all while Peyton Watson remains a restricted free agent, hoping for a deal that will pay him over $20 million annually. 

The second apron has acted as a hard cap for many teams since its introduction during the last CBA. Teams are typically aggressive in their pursuit of avoiding it, notably New York Knicks owner James Dolan said of the second apron: “We’re willing to stretch, but there’s certain things in the NBA that you’d have to be suicidal to do. One of them is the second apron.” Dolan’s comments followed the Knicks first NBA title in over five decades. 

In a nutshell, the second apron significantly hampers the Nuggets’ ability to modify their roster moving forward, as they cannot combine players’ salaries in trades and lose access to the taxpayer midlevel exception, among other things. 

According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, Denver matching the offer sheet increases their repeater tax penalty from $36.4 million to $68.6 million. Such is life with the way the league is currently constructed, but the Kroenke family is apparently willing to write the checks. Marks notes that once the Nuggets kept Jones and (hypothetically) sign Watson for $23 million per year, their tax penalty would be $238 million before payroll. The Nuggets have paid about $53 million in luxury tax penalties since the NBA implemented the system in 2002-03, per ESPN. 

The Kroenke’s have billions and billions of dollars, but that’s a harsh fine, especially compared to what they’ve paid previously. We’ll see what it means for Watson. And with Jones back the attention turns that way, with many Denver fans hoping for a resolution sooner rather than later.

Nonetheless, it’s a bold decision from the organization. What are your thoughts? More details at DenverSports.com.

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## Credits

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Denver Sports 104.3 | @denversports1043 | https://gondola.cc/denversports1043 | Radio Station |

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