If the Nuggets want to improve the team through tonight’s NBA draft, they need to make a trade. Do any of these three juicy possibilities catch your fancy?
A shutdown defender: Florida State forward Chris Singleton could be the next Ron Artest, only considerably saner.
A dead-eye shooter: Washington State guard Klay Thompson finally could end our guilty pleasure of following J.R. Smith’s antics on Twitter.
A wild card: Bismack Biyombo, a raw 18-year-old power forward from Africa, could make the block truly fashionable in Denver for the first time since we tore down the old House of Mutombo.
The question is: Would you swap point guard Raymond Felton for any of these guys? That’s the decision facing Nuggets general manager Masai Ujiri.
The best values in a draft lacking a sure-fire superstar would seem to be between the seventh and 11th selections during the opening round.
And, coincidentally, a draft choice in that range would seem to be fair market value for Felton, a 26-year-old point guard who could be a starter in a number of NBA cities, but not Denver.
If the decision were left to Nuggets coach George Karl, Felton would not be going anywhere, despite whispers throughout the league that teams from the Sacramento Kings, who own the No. 7 pick in the first round, to the Los Angeles Lakers, which can’t go on with Derek Fisher running their offense forever, have explored making a trade with Denver. But dealing Felton makes sense. Here’s why:
It’s evident the Nuggets are being recast by new front-office executives Josh Kroenke and Ujiri as a defense-first team that will rely on turnovers rather than a high-priced scorer for baskets. An undersized backcourt featuring Ty Lawson and Felton does not work with this master plan.
It makes no sense for Denver to pay Felton a $7.5 million salary to come off the bench, and entering the final season of his contract, it makes even less sense for Felton to be satisfied playing a supporting role to Lawson.
For all his laudable leadership traits, it’s hard to argue Felton is more than an average starting point guard in the league, no matter what metrics a supporter might cite. After six seasons in the league, Felton can be counted on to give his team 14 points and seven assists per game on 42 percent shooting. That’s solid, not spectacular.
If Denver can obtain a lottery pick in return for an average point guard, Ujiri should make a trade involving Felton in a heartbeat, with one caveat.
Do the Nuggets sufficiently trust their scouting instincts to find an unrefined rookie destined to mature into a contributing role for a championship contending team?
Singleton would be a safe bet for Denver to trade up and land in the draft. His defensive ability is beyond reproach. Fit the Florida State junior in a Denver uniform, and here’s a hunch Kevin Durant would have trouble averaging 32 points per game, as he did in a recent playoff series against the Nuggets.
While Denver is tired of waking up with the hangover of too many nights wasted on the untapped potential of Smith, letting him go is hard to do unless there’s a viable scoring alternative off the bench. Thompson is the intelligent man’s gunslinger. While you might argue that former Colorado star Alec Burks could also fill this position, both hoops guru Jerry West and I prefer shooting guards who can actually nail a jump shot.
Should your tastes run to big risk and big reward, then Biyombo is a prospect that could either make you forget Felton or wonder what in the world the Nuggets were thinking. At a recent workout in Europe for NBA scouts, Biyombo came down with such awful stage fright and shot so many clunkers that if it were a music recital, he not only would have missed every note, but played the piano with drumsticks. This teenager from the Congo, however, also just might grow up to lead the league in rebounding.
Playing it safe and keeping the 22nd pick in the first round will make it highly unlikely Denver can acquire talent that significantly helps the team next season.
It’s not a question of if, but when, the Nuggets will trade Felton.
Is the timing right tonight?
Mark Kiszla: 303-954-1053 or mkiszla@denverpost.com
