The Nuggets have experienced very little success on the court recently but have drafted very well and now have a legitimate young core in place with another five picks in the 2016 draft.
Kevin Durant, who will become a free agent, is exploring his options around the league and although Denver isn’t expected to be one his top possible destinations there is still a small chance he could find a home in the Mile High City.
Durant is expected to sign a short-term deal to stay with the Thunder and make one more run at a title with Russell Westbrook, his superstar sidekick, before Westbrook becomes a free agent. Westbrook and Durant have played nine years together and came within minutes of an NBA Finals berth this season.
The Nuggets, meanwhile, have a promising young team with Nikola Jokic and Emmanuel Mudiay along with Gary Harris. If Durant were to sign with this team, he would have emerging great players around him as well as great role players.
The idea of Durant and Westbrook heading 680 miles west together is a particularly intriguing prospect.
If Westbrook and Durant decided to jump ship and come to Denver, Mudiay would automatically become either the sixth man or the two guard. Gary Harris is capable of coming off the bench or starting and with the size of Mudiay, Harris can be the first guard off the bench.
A starting five of Durant, Westbrook, Faried, Jokic, and Mudiay would make the Nuggets a big favorite to compete with the Warriors. The Thunder would be decimated and the Spurs aren’t getting any younger.
If the Nuggets were able to retain Gallinari and Chandler (and they both stay healthy), Harris, Gallo, and Chandler would be a dangerous second unit. But in order for the Nuggets to actually acquire Durant and/or Westbrook they would have to shed some money for cap space.
Teams might be interested to hear trade offers for Gallinari and Chandler, which could help the Nuggets shed almost $20 million in cap space.
High flyer Will Barton would complete the second unit in the backcourt for the Nuggets, while the only missing piece would be a strong backup center (assuming they’d have to move guys like Jusuf Nurkic and Joffrey Lauvergne to free up the cash needed to sign two huge names like Westbrook and Durant). The Nuggets bench is just as good as the Thunder’s was and Durant knows he needs players around him who can hit shots.
Durant will probably sign a one year deal with the Thunder to take one more shot at a title with the team that drafted him almost a decade ago. But when that contract expires, and with another year under their belt for a Nuggets team on the rise, Durant might be looking at Denver as a team that can compete with the Golden State Warriors in the very near future.