The Denver Nuggets are in a great place. They’ve got a roster full of young, improving players whose upside could get this team back into contention on their own. They’ve got a coach who, in one season, has turned the locker room from a toxic wasteland into one of the most tight-knit groups in the league. And they’ve got five selections in this week’s draft, including three first round picks.
If they keep up the status quo, draft wisely and develop their players, Denver could easily become one of the brightest young teams in the association. Unfortunately, that’s probably not enough for most Nuggets fans — the same goes for management.
The Nuggets are coming off a season in which they ranked dead last in attendance and missed the postseason for the third consecutive year. To any organization, no matter how well the “rebuilding process” appears to be going, that hurts.
With all the assets lying about, from young studs to high-potential draft picks, general manager Tim Connelly is in a unique position to make a power move on Thursday and trade for a star — of which there are plenty available or semi-available. And if there’s enough pressure, whether it be internal or external, to win now, that may be exactly what they end up doing.
This piece isn’t necessarily in acknowledgement that the Nuggets should trade for an All Star, but if they were to, here are five you should have your eyes on:
DeMarcus Cousins
AGE: 25 SIZE: 6-foot-11, 270 pounds
LAST YEAR’S STATS: 26.9 points; 11.5 rebounds; 3.3 assists; 1.4 blocks
REMAINING CONTRACT: 2 years, $35 million ($17.5 million/year average)
The Denver Nuggets and DeMarcus Cousins have been linked in trade rumors ever since the day Michael Malone signed on as the franchise’s new head coach.
You know the story: No coach has ever been able to relate to Cousins in the NBA except for Malone, and if anybody is going to get the best out of him, it’s going to be Malone.
Yeah, yeah … if only it were that easy. The truth is that the Kings aren’t parting ways with Cousins unless they’re presented with a “Godfather” offer, and I’m not sure the Nuggets have the assets — though they’re probably closer than anyone not named the Celtics.
And why’s that? Well, because he’s really, really, really freaking good. Forget the attitude, forget the technicals, and watch the man play. He’s a unicorn in today’s age of small ball and three-point shooting. We’re talking about what may possibly be the league’s last great big man, a true center that puts up 26 points and 11 rebounds a night from the post.
When was the last time a center put up those types of numbers? 2002, when Shaquille O’Neal did it for the eighth time in his career. In fact, only 11 players in the history of the NBA have ever had a season as successful as Boogie’s, and they include Hakeem Olajuwon, Moses Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and a few other Hall of Famers.
He may be a pain in the ass, but Cousins deserves to be out of Sacramento. Unfortunately, it’s going to cost an arm and a leg and a torso and a head and every article of clothing on your body to get him — unless the Kings do something dumb again, which is not out of the question.
What would it take?: The 7th pick, 15th pick and …
Khris Middleton
AGE: 24 SIZE: 6-foot-8, 234 pounds
LAST YEAR’S STATS: 18.2 points; 3.8 rebounds; 4.2 assists; 1.7 steals
REMAINING CONTRACT: 4 years (final year player option), $55.3 million ($13.8 million/year average)
No questions asked, Khirs Middleton is one of the most underrated players in the NBA. He’s a knock-down three-point shooter, he’s upped his per-game scoring averages each year of his career and he took a significant leap forward as a distributor this season, nearly doubling his assist averages.
The issue, though, is how the Nuggets persuade the Bucks to give up Middleton when they aren’t willing to give up the one thing Milwaukee needs: a point guard.
Sure, Jason Kidd and the Bucks would love to craft a trade centered around a swap that would bring Emmanuel Mudiay up north, but there’s no way the Nuggets would do that for Middleton alone.
What’s more likely is a trade centered around the seventh pick, contingent on Chris Dunn, the draft’s consensus top point guard, falling to No. 7. Despite his questionable shooting stroke, Dunn would be an immediate upgrade over Michael Carter-Williams, and his defensive ability and length would fit in perfectly with what the Bucks are trying to do.
Conversely, the Nuggets would be getting an elite-shooting two guard to spread the floor for Mudiay and jumpstart Denver’s offense.
What would it cost?: The 7th pick and …
Kevin Love
AGE: 27 SIZE: 6-foot-10, 251 pounds
LAST YEAR’S STATS: 16.0 points; 9.9 rebounds; 2.4 assists; .5 blocks
REMAINING CONTRACT: 4 years, $93.5 million ($23.4 million/year average)
Kevin Love isn’t exactly the most-popular player in the NBA right now, and that’s a good thing.
If the Nuggets were to bring Love into the fold, it would immediately improve the franchise. Remember, this is a guy who averaged 26 points and 12 rebounds twice. 26 and 12! I don’t care who you are, nobody lucks into those numbers once, let alone twice.
Love is a great player, but Love is not a great role player, and that’s why he needs out of Cleveland.
Not only is he the third fiddle, but it’s as if the first and second fiddle stole his strings and replaced them with a couple pairs of shoelaces; it doesn’t work. In Cleveland, Love has been relegated to a spot-up shooter, which has muted nearly every one of his elite talents.
Whereas Love used to run the Timberwolves offense out of the high post, he hardly even puts his toes inside the paint as a Cavalier. Whereas Love used to be one of the game’s best offensive rebounders, averaging as much as 4.5 a game, he hasn’t averaged more than two per game in Cleveland because he’s told to stand 30 feet away from the basket at all times.
And don’t give me the excuse of, “Oh well he sucked in Minnesota, too. He couldn’t even lead the Timberwolves to the playoffs.”
During his final year in Minnesota, the Timberwolves starting lineup was the best (the best!) five-man lineup in all of basketball, averaging 50 points per game and posting a plus/minus of 5.3 (second to the Warriors starting lineup, which had a plus/minus of 5.8). They didn’t make the playoffs because their bench was abysmal, and the moment you took Love off the court, the entire team collapsed.
I have no doubt that if you get Love back onto a team where he is the No. 1 option and allowed to be exactly what he needs to be, he’ll be back to his All Pro self in no time. And if there was ever a time to trade for him, it would be right now, while his trade value is at its all-time lowest.
What would it take?: The 7th pick, 19th pick and …
Serge Ibaka
AGE: 26 SIZE: 6-foot-10, 245 pounds
LAST YEAR’S STATS: 12.6 points; 6.8 rebounds; .8 assists; 1.9 blocks
REMAINING CONTRACT: 1 year, $12.3 million
Personally, Serge Ibaka is the guy I want in Denver. He’s exactly what the Nuggets need: an athletic stretch four that can protect the rim.
The only issue is that he’s heading into a contract year, and that’s not the type of player you want to be trading for when you live in a small market like Denver.
At face value, Ibaka would be able to slot next to Nikola Jokic at the four and immediately improve the Nuggets defense, all while giving Denver the type of spacing they’ve never imagined with Kenneth Faried on the floor. Not to mention, the pick and roll with Emmanuel Mudiay and Ibaka could be just as deadly as the Mudiay-Faried pick and roll was towards the end of the season.
And you can’t underrate his experience, either.
For the Thunder, it makes sense, too. They can’t use Ibaka. He’s seen his points, rebounds and blocks all take dramatic dips over the last three seasons, and it’s not because he’s lost his ability; it’s because, like Love, they can’t use him to his fullest capabilities. Like Love, they’ve turned him into a spot-up shooter.
If they can turn Ibaka into two or three solid role players that fit better in the Thunder’s Westbrook-Durant offense, it makes sense, especially when they have to know that Ibaka is likely to leave in free agency next offseason.
For the Nuggets, they just have to have a strong belief that they can be successful enough in Ibaka’s first season that he’ll be willing to sign a long-term extension in the offseason. If not, it would be a complete waste.
What would it take?: The 7th pick and …
Jimmy Butler
AGE: 26 SIZE: 6-foot-7, 220 pounds
LAST YEAR’S STATS: 20.9 points; 5.3 rebounds; 4.8 assists; 1.6 steals
REMAINING CONTRACT: 2 years, $35 million ($17.5 million/year average)
Now why would the Bulls want to get rid of Jimmy Butler? I have no idea. They’ve got a young star in his prime, and yet for whatever reason, rumors are floating about that he’s on the trading block, or at least he could be for the right price.
Do the Nuggets have what it takes to get a seat at the bargaining table? Probably, but it’s going to cost them a pretty penny.
If they were to get Butler in their doors, they’d be getting an elite defensive two guard, who will give you 20 points and five rebounds a night.
Butler is undoubtedly one of the most exciting young stars in the NBA, and he’d immediately make a franchise-defining impact on the Nuggets. Again, though, my only concern would be whether Tim Connelly would have to give up too much to get him.
If I’m the Nuggets, unless the Bulls are looking for a cornerstone big man, I’m not sure I answer the phone.
What would it take?: The 7th pick and …
