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NBA Trade Grades: Blazers Deal Mason Plumlee To Nuggets For Jusuf Nurkic

By Gerald Bourguet

Oct 29, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets center Jusuf Nurkic (23) and Portland Trail Blazers forward Noah Vonleh (21) battle for a rebound in the second quarter at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets center Jusuf Nurkic (23) and Portland Trail Blazers forward Noah Vonleh (21) battle for a rebound in the second quarter at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /
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NBA Trade Grades
Oct 29, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets center Jusuf Nurkic (23) and Portland Trail Blazers forward Noah Vonleh (21) battle for a rebound in the second quarter at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

With the Denver Nuggets trading Jusuf Nurkic to the Portland Trail Blazers for Mason Plumlee, it’s time for a new batch of NBA Trade Grades.

With the NBA’s Feb. 23 trade deadline approaching, it was only a matter of time before a deal emerged that one-upped Milwaukee’s Miles Plumlee swap with Charlotte. On Sunday, that trade finally arrived.

According to The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Denver Nuggets are sending backup center Jusuf Nurkic and their 2017 first round draft pick to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Mason Plumlee and a 2018 second round pick.

Thanks to Nikola Jokic‘s rapid rise to stardom, Nurkic’s fit in Denver came into question and his name soon appeared in NBA trade rumors. It’s not surprising to see him dealt away, especially once he started pouting over his steady decline in minutes and role under Michael Malone.

Meanwhile, the Blazers dealt away their starting center to give Nurkic a chance, which probably won’t fix their 27th-ranked defense but will allow them to continue to focus on the roster’s long-term potential.

The question is, how did each team make out in this deal? To put it all in perspective, here are some NBA Trade Grades.

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