Nuggets Rumors: Will Jameer Nelson Request A Trade?

Recent Denver Nuggets rumors revolve around veteran point guard Jameer Nelson and whether or not he will request to be traded this offseason.

Denver Nuggets rumors have been quiet recently, as there haven’t been many rumblings around the team since their regular season ended just under two weeks ago. But, their preparations for next season are already underway, as the Nuggets will look to improve on their 33-49 record in the second season under Mike Malone.

Will they be doing it without veteran point guard Jameer Nelson?

Nelson signed a three-year, $13.622 million contract with the Nuggets last offseason after opting out of his deal. Nelson liked that the Nuggets had a plan in place for him when they acquired him via trade during the 2014-15 season from the Boston Celtics, and decided to return. But, he could ask to be traded this offseason if a new plan isn’t put into place.

According to Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post, Nelson would not hesitate to ask his agent Steve Mountain for a trade away from Denver if it does not look like he will receive more playing time next season. Dempsey also notes that Nelson would prefer to remain with the Nuggets, but if there is no playing time for him he would request a trade if it meant more minutes elsewhere.

Nelson began last season as the primary backup to rookie Emmanuel Mudiay. Nelson was looked at as a valuable mentor for the gifted, young point guard and things went well at the start. Nelson was averaging 27.6 minutes per game through Jan. 15 backing up Mudiay and was happy in his role.

But Nelson would play only 40 minutes the remainder of the season after that. A wrist injury was thought to be the cause originally, as the Nuggets feared that the injury could be season-ending for Nelson. Nelson would return to the active list after an eight-game absence in February, but returned to see that someone else had taken his spot.

With the uncertainty facing Nelson’s remainder of the season outlook, the Nuggets went out and acquired D.J. Augustin at the trade deadline to shore up the point guard spot. Augustin quickly became a favorite of Malone, as he passed Nelson on the depth chart was was referred to as the Nuggets’ security blanket.

Augustin has already said that he would love to return to the Nuggets this offseason as a free agent, which would only complicate matters for Nelson and probably make the decision for him if he’d like to request a trade or not.

“Like I said we’ll figure it out and see what’s going on,” Nelson said, according to Dempsey. “I would love to come back here. That’s the reason why I signed a three-year deal. But it’s just one of those things that, it’s a business. It’s a business, and we have to figure it out.”

Next: 2016 NBA Playoffs: Each Team's Week 1 MVP

Teams are always in the market for veteran point guards, so if the Nuggets do make Nelson available via trade, they should have no problem finding a suitor for him. He can still be a productive player off the bench, and could be a mentor to a younger point guard just as he was for Mudiay before being replaced by Augustin.

Home/Denver Nuggets