Sell:
With all that said, the Nuggets are a long ways away from being a championship contender, no matter what they do. They could trade Danilo Gallinari for Kevin Durant right now, and they still wouldn’t come close to taking down the Spurs or Warriors.
So why throw away assets for the immediate gratification of the playoffs, when they could build for the future?
The Nuggets may be two games out of the playoffs, but they’re also just 2.5 games away from falling towards a top-five pick in the NBA draft. Wouldn’t it make sense for Tim Connelly to become a major seller at the deadline, bring in assets (both players and picks), let Denver’s young nucleus play heavy minutes, lose games and walk away with a top-five pick and another building block for next season?
I know it’s not going to help fan attendance or support, but it’s not as if it can get any worse. The Nuggets are already last in attendance, and the only thing that’s going to change that is a successful team; that’s what they’d be building towards.
And here’s the other advantage: They’d be one of the only sellers.
Look around the league, the Nuggets aren’t the only sub-500 team vying for a playoff spot; 90 percent of the league still thinks they have a legitimate shot at the playoffs!
Teams like the Trail Blazers, Kings, Pelicans, Knicks and Hornets would all normally be clear “sellers” at this point in the season, but it’s hard to make that decision when you’re two games out of the playoffs. Instead, much like I laid out with the Nuggets above, they may be looking to add one more piece and make a playoff push. And if all these teams decide to take that route, there’s not going to be enough assets to go around.
That would leave the Nuggets in a very profitable situation. Whereas Randy Foye has been inconsistent at best in Denver, a “shooter” like him could immediately become the “missing piece” for a team looking to climb into the playoffs; if multiple teams feel that way, suddenly his price rises to the point that Denver wouldn’t be able to sign those trade papers fast enough.
The same goes for Kenneth Faried, Joffrey Lauvergne, Jameer Nelson, Will Barton and Danilo Gallinari.
Gut the roster, stash away a wad of picks and let the young guys play 30-plus minutes a game. Then, when it comes time to make a major move down the line, not only do you have a bunch of exciting young talent to offer, but you’ve got a treasure trove of draft picks.
