Less than two weeks from the NBA trade deadline, the Nuggets don’t have anything brewing on the trade front, a league source told The Denver Post.
Itap not that the Nuggets aren’t open to deal ahead of the March 25 deadline — they are — itap just that there’s nothing thatap enticed them to this point. That doesn’t mean an upgrade won’t happen. Itap just an indication of the market and how due to the play-in tournament, more teams than ever are reluctant to sell.
All of which leaves Nuggets president Tim Connelly with a dilemma as the deadline approaches.
Is it worth upending the chemistry the Nuggets have built over the last month while racking up wins, settling a defense and steadily climbing in the Western Conference? Since Feb. 10, the Nuggets are 10-4, which is tied for the fourth-best record in the NBA.
Even more impressive is they’ve managed to thrive without Gary Harris (for 13 of those games), Paul Millsap (10), PJ Dozier (9), JaMychal Green (8) and R.J. Hampton (6). So, what can be gleaned from Denver’s surging stretch? Around Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., the Nuggets have a world of possibilities.
If the Nuggets do make a trade, itap more likely they’d be shopping for a long-term piece than a rental, the source said.
While the Jerami Grant trade did help engineer a Western Conference finals run, that partnership fizzled earlier than the Nuggets envisioned when they sent a first-round pick to Oklahoma City.
The other factor is the recent absences of Millsap and Green have helped crystallize Porter’s fit at power forward, where he has become a matchup nightmare for opposing fours and become increasingly dangerous on defense. His improving awareness in help situations, not to mention his imposing length, are deterrents better serving the Nuggets from the post than the perimeter. The last few weeks may have revealed his optimal position.
Furthermore, itap tough to argue with the cohesion Porter alluded to following Friday nightap win in Memphis — Denver’s fifth in a row.
“I feel like we’re all playing pretty comfortable, like we’re all able to play our game in a way,” Porter said. “Obviously, it starts with Jamal and Joker, but then having Monte (Morris) in there, another playmaker, another ball-handler, and then Will (Barton), itap just been flowing lately. We’ve just been also playing as a team. Not being selfish, looking out for each other, making the extra pass. And we’re starting to learn each other’s games.”
Thatap essentially the baseline Connelly is working from. Is there a need for change, and if yes, is there a move that makes the Nuggets demonstrably better? (Bradley Beal isn’t available, so get that out of your snowed-in heads).
The Nuggets have movable contracts in Harris and Barton, intriguing prospects in Hampton and Zeke Nnaji, future first-round picks and impending free agents in Millsap and Green (player option). The Nuggets could go any number of directions, including the use of a $9.5 million trade exception. Or they could simply stay put.
No team is ever against adding more shooting, but Denver’s most glaring need begins on the defensive end. When you’ve got an attack orchestrated by the NBA’s preeminent passer and flanked by elite shooters in Murray and Porter, there’s no need to hunt for help on offense. The Nuggets need stout defensive wings to grapple with the Western Conference elite.
The return of Dozier has been an underrated addition, but the collective losses of Grant and Torrey Craig left the Nuggets thin. As constructed, either Porter or Green would draw an assignment against LeBron James in a potential playoff re-match.
In no particular order, the Nuggets should gauge the availability of Kenrich Williams (Oklahoma City), David Nwaba (Houston), Troy Brown Jr. (Washington), Kyle Anderson (Memphis) or Thad Young (Chicago). By no means would any of those pieces solve a James or Kawhi Leonard riddle, but they’d help bolster an inconsistent defense.
The other area Connelly has to consider is rim protection. Opponents are shooting a league-high 66% against the Nuggets inside of five feet. Sure, Jokic isn’t going to scrape the ceiling at Ball Arena, but itap not solely on him when it comes to defending the interior. On-ball defense, containment and perimeter awareness have all been issues at times this season.
There are reasonable options to protect Jokic or reinforce the second unit. The two most obvious: Richaun Holmes (Sacramento) or JaVale McGee (Cleveland). Both teams are viewed as sellers. If the Nuggets wanted an imposing center, they might be there for the taking.
Ultimately, the Nuggets have to decide: Are they content with the status quo?
