It’s getting hot and heavy in NBA circles. The trade deadline is looming, and every general manager in the league is looking for the perfect companion to consummate their power move.
For the Denver Nuggets, though, what does that mean? If Tim Connelly could craft the perfect deadline deal, whom would he be sending out, and, more importantly, whom would he be bringing in?
Honestly, it’s one of the most interesting questions in the NBA right now, because there’s so many options to choose from.
Next to the Boston Celtics, there’s not a franchise in the league with more assets than the Denver Nuggets; they’ve got to use them at some point, right?
Between young studs like Emmanuel Mudiay and Nikola Jokic, experienced veterans like Danilo Gallinari and Kenneth Faried, and the plethora of draft picks coming their way, you’d be hard pressed to find a team that can offer more for a superstar than the Nuggets.
But, then again, do the Nuggets even need a superstar?
Right now, I have no doubt that Connelly could call up the Los Angeles Clippers and get Blake Griffin in the building within the week. Not only have the Clips already made an offer — a ludicrous, laughable, outrageous offer — but there’s reason to believe that LA is legitimately serious about moving on from Blake.
Not only is his shooting hand the size of an ogre’s club, but they’ve actually been better with him off the court. And while you can attribute that to a cake walk schedule, the Clippers’ “Big Three” just don’t seem to line up; Blake is the square jigsaw piece attempting to bond with DeAndre’s rounded edges.
But why give up so much for a guy like Blake Griffin? He doesn’t fit their timeline, and there’s a pretty darn good chance that he’ll bolt for the door as soon as he gets the opportunity.
Denver is a young team, and they need to remain young. They need to build a core that’ll grow together, succeed together, and they’re well on there way.
Let’s take stock …
Inspiring Young Players: Emmanuel Mudiay, Nikola Jokic, Jusuf Nurkic, Joffrey Lauvergne, Gary Harris
Veterans Reaching Their Prime: Danilo Gallinari, Kenneth Faried, Will Barton
Plug-And-Play Veterans: Randy Foye, Darrell Arthur, JJ Hickson, Mike Miller, Jameer Nelson
The Unknown Quantity: Wilson Chandler
Draft Picks: Four potential first-round draft picks in the 2016 draft
Right now, Tim Connelly is working with a war chest, and he’s just waiting to pull the trigger.
But, really, do we even know which assets are worth keeping and which assets are worth flipping?
I don’t. A few months ago, if the the Clippers told me they’d give the Nuggets Blake Griffin in exchange for an oft-injured Gallo, a bench-riding Barton and some skinny Serbian center, I’d have personally booked their flight to LAX that same minute. Now, we’re all calling it a joke of an offer!
Who’s to say that our opinions on Gary Harris, Jusuf Nurkic, Joffrey Lauvergne and others won’t change in the next six months, too?
And I understand that the Nuggets need to make a move. If they end up with all four of those draft picks, they literally won’t have enough room on their roster to carry them all. But there’s no rush. They’ll be every opportunity to make a move during the offseason, and they might just stumble into an even better deal — ask the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Plus, if they play their cards right, Denver could walk out on draft night with another top-tier talent to pair with the rest of the Nuggets’ young core.
So, Connelly, listen to any and every offer you get, but unless someone’s begging you to take an all-star off their hands, sit tight for now.