With the Denver Nuggets offseason in full effect, the front office has now set out to dissect the upcoming NBA Draft and the vast amount of players that are set to hit the market as free agents this year.
And as the Nuggets go, so do all of us here at Mile High Sports.
So over the next month we will be going position-by-position and breaking down the top five draft choices and potential free agents and their fit in Denver.
TJ McBride first looked at the point guards, and now we will transition to the shooting guard position. The Nuggets always seem to have a void to fill at the two come this time of year; however, they find themselves in unfamiliar territory with three talented young players at the position. Gary Harris, Will Barton and Axel Toupane are all 25 or younger, yet none of them seem to be the permanent answer at the two for the Nuggets.
Harris holds the most upside of the three, making an enormous leap from his rookie to sophomore year. The problem is none of these three are elite, knockdown shooters from the perimeter. Barton, Harris and Toupane all shot underneath 36 percent from the three-point line last season, leaving Denver still needing a sniper at the two guard position to help space the floor.
With that being said let’s look at some possible free agent signings.
Allen Crabbe, Restricted Free Agent
Age: 24 years old Size: 6’6”, 210 pounds
Career Stats: 7.0 points; 2.0 rebounds; 1.0 assists
Percentages: 44.7% from the field; 38.5% from three-point; 85% from the free throw line
Allen Crabbe broke out this season in Portland, finally finding his way into the rotation. His minutes doubled and he was able to finish as the third-leading scorer on the Blazers. Crabbe even started in a few games, averaging 15.9 points and shooting 39.1 percent from beyond the arc.
Crabbe has a great physical profile, standing at 6-foot-6, sporting 6-foot-11 wingspan and a 36-inch vertical jump, to go along with great catch-and-shoot ability and an improved handle. He has more potential than any of the three shooting guards’ currently on Denver’s roster and could push Harris for the starting spot immediately. Even if he was relegated to the bench, the trio of Crabbe, Barton and Chandler could be a nightmare for opposing teams, especially defensively given their length.
Crabbe is the elite shooter the Nuggets desperately need, in addition to having big two-way upside. His defense needs work, as evidenced by his 109 career defensive rating, but Michael Malone could be the perfect coach to get the best out of Crabbe on that end of the floor.
Getting Crabbe out of Portland is going to be tough, though; they want to keep him, and he has expressed his desire to return to Rip City. Denver does have the cap room to throw a substantial amount of money Crabbe’s way and offer an opportunity to compete for a starting job right away, which could be too enticing for Crabbe to pass up.
Kent Bazemore, Unrestricted Free Agent
Age: 26 years old Size: 6’5”, 201 pounds
Career Stats: 6.4 points; 2.7 rebounds; 1.3 assists
Percentages: 43% from the field; 35.1% from three-point; 68.3% from the free throw line
Bazemore is a stellar fit in Denver, given his fieriness, motor and defensive ability. I think immediately he would be a fan favorite in the Mile High City and gain trust from Michael Malone. With Bazemore at his disposal, Malone would have three very sound defenders to utilize consistently at the shooting guard position, alongside Harris and Toupane.
He would immediately improve the Nuggets’ perimeter defense; he’s a thief out there, and is a smart defender, who doesn’t foul often. He wouldn’t improve Denver’s shooting woes all that much, but he’s shown solid progress in that department season by season.
Bazemore earned himself quite a bit of money this year in Atlanta, starting in 68 games for the club and really shining in that role. Denver has the money to give Bazemore, but the real question is will they be able to outbid other teams? I’m not so sure Tim Connelly is willing to overpay for a player like Bazemore.
Evan Fournier, Restricted Free Agent
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD2IPpjUxJY
Age: 23 years old Size: 6’7”, 205 pounds
Career Stats: 11.0 points; 2.5 rebounds; 1.9 assists
Percentages: 44.8% from the field; 38.9% from three-point; 78.4% from the free throw line
How ironic would this be? Fournier would look very nice back in the powder blue and gold. Ever since being traded by the Nuggets and GM Tim Connelly back in June 2014 to the Magic for Arron Afflalo, Fournier has flourished in Orlando. He’s shown steady improvement every season, becoming one of the bigger core pieces for the Magic.
Fournier would fit very well next to Mudiay, given not only his shooting ability but also his playmaking and slashing skills. He’s a crafty finisher, who’s a better shooter than Harris, and more importantly, he can create his own offense, as well as create for others out of high pick and rolls, something Harris just isn’t comfortable doing. His defense needs work, but he has great size for the position and doesn’t lack effort on that end.
Given the current stability issues in Orlando, the Nuggets might have a solid shot to steal Fournier away. However, convincing Fournier to return to a team who just traded him two years ago will be tricky, I’m sure. Add into the fact that Orlando values him so much and that other teams will bid very highly for his services, and the chances of a Fournier-Denver reunion are that much slimmer, but, boy, would it be fun to see.
Evan Turner, Unrestricted Free Agent
Age: 27 years old Size: 6’7”, 220 pounds
Career Stats: 10.7 points; 5.2 rebounds; 3.8 assists
Percentages: 43.2% from the field; 30.5% from three-point; 77.7% from the free throw line
The former second-overall pick back in 2010, Evan Turner has gone from the future in Philly to a solid role player in Boston. Turner’s a phenomenal playmaker with good vision and would take some of the playmaking burden off of Mudiay’s shoulders. Also, unlike the other options previously mentioned, Turner wouldn’t come in and disrupt Harris’ development, becoming more of a mentor than competitor to the Nuggets young two guard.
Turner also is a very good post scorer, allowing Malone to showcase both him and Mudiay against smaller guards on the block. His veteran presence would also be welcome on a young team whose culture was drastically repaired last season and help push them along that progression.
He doesn’t really fill the perimeter-shooting void that Denver desperately needs to address this offseason, but he could be a cheap, solid option for Tim Connelly at the shooting guard position.
Eric Gordon, Unrestricted Free Agent
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmg4zN57fzs
Age: 27 years old Size: 6’4”, 215 pounds
Career Stats: 16.6 points; 3.3 assists; 2.5 rebounds
Percentages: 43.5% from the field; 38.3% from three-point; 81.4% from the free throw line
Gordon could be a player who could help propel the Nuggets into playoff contention next season, if he stays healthy. The eight-year veteran has suffered a plethora of injuries, playing in an average of only 52 games per season. He’s a phenomenal scorer, who can score from every level and form a phenomenal 1-2 scoring punch with Danilo Gallinari.
Signing Gordon would also help address Denver’s biggest need of perimeter shooting and give the Nuggets an established scorer at the two to put next to Mudiay. Again, durability is the main issue with Gordon and I’m not quite sure Tim Connelly and company will be willing to pay handsomely for another player with injury problems. However, with the recent contract extensions of both Gallinari and Chandler, two guys that have also had reoccurring injury problems, maybe Denver is the ideal fit for a player like Gordon.