According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Denver Nuggets acquired center Thomas Bryant from the Los Angeles Lakers for reserve wing Davon Reed and three second round picks.
The Lakers are trading Thomas Bryant to the Nuggets for Davon Reed and three second-round picks, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 9, 2023
Bryant is on a one-year minimum contract but has played well for the Lakers so far this season. He helped win a game against the Nuggets on December 16th when Anthony Davis missed the second half due to injury. He has been one of the most efficient big man scorers in the NBA this year, helping the Lakers keep afloat in those minutes without Davis.
The three second round picks the Nuggets are trading to the Lakers are all unprotected in 2025, 2026, and 2029, according to Woj.
Bryant’s per game numbers are really impressive, though his role is expected to be a purely backup center role behind two-time MVP Nikola Jokić.
Thomas Bryant's per game numbers for the Lakers this year:
21.4 minutes
12.1 points
6.8 rebounds
0.7 assists
0.6 blocks65.4 FG%
44.0 3P%
74.1 FT%Leading the NBA in True Shooting Percentage at 71.2%.
GREAT ADDITION.
— Ryan Blackburn (@NBABlackburn) February 9, 2023
The Nuggets have struggled to consistently fill their backup center minutes behind Jokić for much of the season. DeAndre Jordan was the first option, but ever since playing reasonably through the 2022 calendar year, Jordan’s minutes have waned and his effectiveness has suffered. Zeke Nnaji was the younger second option, though standing at 6’9″, Nnaji is undersized for the position and is best as a switch-everything defender.
The Nuggets needed a big man option that was a bit more traditional, and the Lakers’ Bryant certainly fits the bill. His athleticism and physicality make him a serious threat to score in the paint, and he’s also shooting jump shots with high efficiency. Bryant’s ability as a screener to free up ball handlers while diving to the rim was essential for the Lakers in AD’s absence, and it will be quite useful for the Nuggets for the remainder of the 2022-23 season.
How the Nuggets rotation is affected remains to be seen. Bryant likely plays the majority of the Nuggets bench center minutes for the rest of the season. Zeke Nnaji, Vlatko Čančar, and Jeff Green are all vying for backup power forward minutes but could slide to center in a small ball situation. Bones Hyland is still on the Nuggets as of this moment, but it’s possible he’s moved before the deadline is up.
However the Nuggets move forward from here though, they’ve made a move that will help their bench offense tremendously. Bryant is a serious threat in the paint, and opposing teams will treat him that way.