NBA salary cap exercise: What player would every team amnesty?

Denver Nuggets – Gary Harris

Next year the financial situation for the Nuggets starts to get complicated. Paul Millsap’s contract expires just as Jamal Murray’s massive contract is about to kick in. He will go from making $4.4 million this year to making $29.3 million next season. If Jerami Grant picks up his option next season they will be committed to $107.9 million for nine players.

This leads to tough choices and unfortunately that brings us to Gary Harris. Harris is due $19.2 million next season and $20.5 million the season after. He has missed at least 15 games per season since his third season in the league and had already missed 12 games before the season paused this year. His shooting percentages have gone down three years in a row and his scoring and assists have dropped in consecutive seasons.

Denver also has a collection of young guards that are there to take his place. Monte Morris, Will Barton and Jamal Murray are locked in and ready to go. Morris has been effective, efficient and cheap. Barton has the positional versatility that made fans fall in love with Gary Harris.

Ultimately if the Nuggets are going to be a championship contender Murray will have to live up to his contract. He obviously still has time. For the sake of this exercise, Harris may be out of it.