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Denver Nuggets: 5 Free Agents To Target This Offseason

By Ryan Blackburn

Jan 10, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Nicolas Batum (5) shoots the ball over Denver Nuggets guard Mike Miller (3) during the second half at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 95-92. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 10, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Nicolas Batum (5) shoots the ball over Denver Nuggets guard Mike Miller (3) during the second half at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 95-92. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Denver Nuggets finished tied for the eighth worst record in the league. Can they improve through free agency?

Denver Nuggets
Jan 10, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Nicolas Batum (5) shoots the ball over Denver Nuggets guard Mike Miller (3) during the second half at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 95-92. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /

While the Denver Nuggets didn’t finish the season with a strong record, there’s optimism in the air.

Much of this pertains to the culture change going on in the locker room instilled by head coach Michael Malone. He’s constantly praised by his peers for his leadership skills and character. Every member of the Nuggets locker room accepted what Malone was preaching last season, something they didn’t do with Brian Shaw in the driver seat.

Now, the next step in the rebuild begins. It is much harder to make the jump from a pushover blowout to a respectable loss than it is from a respectable loss to a winning team. In order to do so, the Nuggets have to buy in fully to Malone’s schemes, but they also need to upgrade their talent level.

Due to injuries to Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari last season, the Nuggets were forced to provide regular rotation minutes to JaKarr Sampson and Axel Toupane. This is not a winning formula, and while much of the improvement looks to be internal, general manager Tim Connelly must do his due diligence to improve the team through free agency and the draft.

Related Story: NBA 2016 Top Ten Free Agents

In previous articles here and here, I provided my thoughts on who the Nuggets should target in a trade (Jimmy Butler) and who they should look to draft (Brandon Ingram, Jamal Murray, and Timothe Luwawu at various spots). All of these players are wing prospects, and that’s where I will focus for most of my free agents, though there are some curveballs in there.

The Denver Nuggets, above all, need players who can improve both the defensive profile of the team and the shooting capability. They need a first option on offense, but if Gallinari, Emmanuel Mudiay and Nikola Jokic split touches, then they should be pretty successful. The combination of veteran shotmaking and development of young players makes that prospect exciting.

That said, here are five free agents that could help the Denver Nuggets improve their roster for 2016-17.

Next: Big Man Bench Shooter?

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