The NBA trade deadline is upon us and the basketball world has been lit ablaze with rumors and speculation. Here, in Denver, Tim Connelly will have options, but his best may be to simply do nothing. As our own Michael Jaycox wrote yesterday, Denver has a young core, and to disrupt that would be a huge mistake. Nonetheless, Connelly and crew will be fielding phone calls for the next 24 hours, which means there’s a pretty good chance something gets done.
But what?
First and foremost, the two most-tradable assets on the team are Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler. I know Chandler is and has been injured, but his ability to score the basketball at will (see what I did there) makes him a very desirable player, even if he’s not available until next season. At the same time, Connelly knows that he cannot afford to lose Gallo; Gallo is the best player on this team, and they need him to lead them as these young guys grow.
As far as Chandler, if you have followed me at all through my many radio shows, you know I have a slight man crush on “Ill Will,” so I may be a little biased. That said, any professional basketball player that spends his free time playing NBA Jam is okay in my book!
But, if I’m being honest, I am starting to lose faith in his ability to stay healthy, and I’m not sure we’ll ever see him make an impact on an 82-game season. If other franchise feel the same way, he’ll likely be finishing his rehab in Denver.
The other obvious asset is Kenneth Faried, who many Nuggets fans tend to believe is their most attractive trade chip. But we might be too close to the situation here in Denver. Across the country, The Manimal is not all he’s cracked up to be — No, don’t roll your eyes at me! He can’t play defense and he can’t be incorporated into an offensive set, but he’s a double-double machine, so he’s a stud, right?
Wrong.
As I’ve stated in the past, Faried is a perfect seventh man on a contending team in the NBA. IF he can be moved before the deadline, I would be just fine with that. Bring back a solid post defender for him so Nurk has some help in the paint.
Last but not least, we have some expiring contracts in Randy Foye and J.J. Hickson and a young stud with tons of upside in Joffrey Lauvergne. The Miami Heat have shown some interest in Foye, but I’m sure he’s only a last-ditch option if they can’t find a more consistent shooter on the market. And while the Nuggets are more than willing to move Hickson to a team that can offer more playing time, the rumor floating around the Pepsi Center is that Hickson could be waived if they can’t find a trade partner by the deadline. That could allow them to bring a guy like Sean Kilpatrick back into the fold.
As far as Lauvergne goes, I actually like his game. He has a lot to learn, but as a big man off the bench, he fits in here.
The Denver Nuggets are in the middle of a rebuild, but they are ahead of schedule, so let’s not do anything that could jeopardize this process. Tim Connelly has been great as the Nuggets’ general manger, and he earned that contract extension. Now we just have to sit back and watch his plan play out!