The Nuggets have an ownership group that has historically avoided paying luxury taxes and a front office hard-capped by the NBA’s restrictive collective bargaining agreement. They’ve lost Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Bruce Brown, Jeff Green and Reggie Jackson from the 2022-23 championship roster — a role-player talent drain that has strained the relationship between head coach Michael Malone and a front office financially limited in what it can do. “There was this urge to compete, especially from the players and the coaches and even myself,” Booth told ESPN. “You want to win, especially coming off the heels of winning the championship. And that’s probably where the tension started. “What are you guys trying to do? Are you trying to win? Are you trying to develop? I think everybody had the best intent going in. There was buy-in. But I think competition and the focus on that can distract you from the buy-in.”