A couple of days before the Denver Broncos face off against the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50, Denver Nuggets fans were blindsided by a bomb shell of a rumor regarding their team. The rumor is that the Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers have, at least briefly, discussed the possibility of a trade that could send Blake Griffin to Denver.
The NBA trade deadline is still two weeks away (1:00 pm MST on February 18th), so these kinds of rumors will be running wild for the next 13 days. But hang tight, hoop-heads. After Sunday, Denver might care a little more about the great game of basketball.
Much like you, I would love to assume that Tim Connelly and company have bunkered down and are in the “war room,” working their version of the trade machine! But the truth is, this is probably how the Clippers and Nuggets phone call went:
LA: “Hey Tim, hope all is well in Denver. Any chance you guys would be willing to part ways with Danilo Gallinari?”
Denver: “Doing great, and yeah he is available. How about Gallo for Blake straight up?”
LA: *Click*
Den: “Hello? Hello???”
It’s been no secret that NBA teams are interested in adding a player like Danilo Gallinari. The Boston Celtics have been reported to be making a push for the Nuggets’ leading scorer with no luck. Gallo would be the perfect addition to a team that feels they are on the cusp of success. If he could accept a role as a sixth man on a title team, he would be one of the best sixth men in the league.
I could write 3,000 words about potential trades the Nuggets could, or should, make, but let’s focus on the real possibilities between the Clippers and Nuggets.
What would it take to get Blake Griffin away for LA? Certainly, it would be more than just Gallo. Could the fan base handle a trade that sent Gallo, Kenneth Faried and the expiring contracts of JJ Hickson and/or Randy Foye? Would anybody even notice if Foye or Hickson suddenly disappeared? I would notice that I am no longer cursing at the picture box in my living room every time Randy Foye touches the ball late in the game.
I’m not a big fan of Faried and his game, but I do understand why fans love him, and that might be a tough pill to swallow..
Another option would be to replace Faried with Barton and replace Gallo with Chandler. The Nuggets love Will Barton. From Josh Kroenke to Tim Connelly, they love the guy. But all is fair in the world of professional sports. Another tough one for the 9,000 fans that show up to Nuggets games these days, though. Would they be ok with seeing Will Barton go? He’s a fan favorite, even if he’s not on the same level as the Manimal.
The NBA world has also reported, via Sheridan Hoops, that Denver is shopping Joffrey Lauvergne. The team is looking for a late first rounder for the big fella, but why not add him as a throw in to LA if the money can line up right? King Joffrey is on the books for $1.7 million this year.
I don’t believe this deal will be made, nor do I believe the Clippers are actively trying to move Griffin, but this can and hopefully will show the casual Denver sports fan that they can get back to supporting the team. From top to bottom, the Nuggets are all in, it just takes time for a rebuild.
As I have said in the past, I don’t just like this young Nuggets corps; I love it. Emmanuel Mudiay as the floor general, Gary Harris as the wing defender, Gallo or Chandler (whoever does not get traded) then Nurk and Jokic and the guys in the paint. Again, I don’t think it’s happening, but imagine Jokic off the bench and Griffin and Jusuf Nurkic as your starting center and power forward.
I’m eternally optimistic with the Denver Nuggets and would love to see Blake Griffin in a Nuggets uniform; I just do not think the Clippers will part ways without a star without getting one in return, and we all know the Nuggets lack in that department.