Scotto's Latest: Nnaji, Nuggets, Nurkic, Suns, Magic

The Nuggets, who are facing a cap crunch this summer ahead of Peyton Watson‘s restricted free agency, have been open to discussing a trade centered around Zeke Nnaji and the 26th overall pick, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Nnaji, a former first-round pick, has been out of Denver’s rotation the past three seasons after signing a four-year, $32MM rookie scale extension in 2023. He’s still owed a guaranteed $14.9MM over the next two seasons, including a player option for 2027/28.

Here’s more from Scotto’s latest rumor round-up:

After averaging a double-double (10.9 points and 10.4 rebounds in 26.4 minutes per game) and a career-high in assists per game (4.8) in his first season with Utah, the Jazz are interested in re-signing center Jusuf Nurkic, according to Scotto. The Bosnian big man, a 12-year veteran, is an unrestricted free agent after earning $19.4MM in 2025/26.
The Suns already agreed to re-sign Collin Gillespie to a four-year, $48MM deal, but they still have to figure out potential new contracts for restricted free agent center Mark Williams and unrestricted free agent guard Jordan Goodwin, plus a possible extension with Dillon Brooks. According to Scotto, people around the league expect Williams to receive something in the neighborhood of the non-taxpayer midlevel exception (starts at $15MM and projects to be worth up to $64.7MM over four years), while Goodwin could make $5-6MM annually. Scotto suggests the Suns would be willing to re-sign Williams for a little north of the full MLE, if necessary, on a short-term deal. As for Brooks, Scotto hears he could make about $25MM per year in an extension.
Orlando’s team salary is about to get much more expensive with Paolo Banchero‘s max extension kicking in next season, Scotto writes. With that in mind, people around the league are curious to see how the Magic approach rookie scale extension talks with Anthony Black, who put up similar numbers to Jalen Suggs in 2025/26. Suggs is about to enter the second season of a five-year, $150MM rookie scale extension (the final year is a team option). Whether a deal gets done with Black or not, rival teams anticipate the Magic will eventually have to trade one of the former lottery picks due to their looming financial situation, per Scotto. Black will be a restricted free agent next year if he doesn’t sign an extension.
Joe Prunty, Popeye Jones, Greg Buckner, and Tom Bialaszewski are candidates to join Sean Sweeney‘s coaching staff with the Magic, league sources tell HoopsHype. Scotto previously reported that Orlando was hiring Riley Crean, Mfon Udofia and DJ Bakker as assistants under Sweeney, the new head coach.
In case you missed it, Scotto also passed along sourced intel on the Thunder, Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Nets, the Timberwolves and RJ Barrett.