Denver Nuggets: Could Jusuf Nurkic Be Dangled In Trade?
With speculation swirling that the Denver Nuggets may make a move to push for the postseason, Jusuf Nurkic could be a player on the move.
NBA rumors are going to start picking up in the coming weeks with the NBA Trade Deadline less than two months away and Denver Nuggets rumors will be no different. The Nuggets will be an interesting team to keep an eye on because of their current standing.
The Nuggets are loaded with talent and pushing for a playoff spot this season. With some teams in the Western Conference that were expected to be playoff contenders struggling, Denver is currently a half-game out of the playoffs in the Western Conference. Will they ride the young talent out and hope they continue improving, or will they look to add some veterans to go with the young guns?
It will be a decision that the Nuggets will have to make in the coming weeks as they continue to gauge their team. There is speculation that the Nuggets are going to try and move some of their younger talent in exchange for veterans to help push them further into the playoff picture.
One of the players that could fall into that category is center Jusuf Nurkic. Nurkic was selected by the Nuggets with the 16th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. He is under team control through the 2017-18 season based on his rookie contract, but he may not be in Denver for long.
Nurkic has some potential given his combination of size and skill. He is very gifted athletically for someone who stands seven-feet tall and weighs 280 pounds. He was named to the 2014-15 All-Rookie Second team and showed promise.
His per-36 minute stats are very impressive as well, putting up 15.4 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.5 steals, and 2.6 blocks. But, consistent minutes are tough to come by for Nurkic with the Nuggets.
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Nurkic started the first 25 games of the season for the Nuggets. He averaged 9.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 blocks in 21.3 minutes per game. 21.3 minutes is not many for a starter, as head coach Mike Malone has a lot of people he has to fit into his rotation in the frontcourt, such as Nikola Jokic.
He started the two of them together the first eight games of the season and the team went 3-5. Jokic was moved to the bench to help stagger their minutes. But, the Nuggets’ success didn’t change much until Malone made another change to his lineup.
On Dec. 15, Jokic was placed back in the starting lineup at the expense of Nurkic. The two did not just flip spots in the rotation, though, as Nurkic was removed from the rotation altogether.
In the last eight games, Nurkic has played just under 22 minutes with four DNP’s. It is something that Nurkic is not happy about, as he wants to be on the court playing.
"“For sure, it’s tough,” Nurkic told The Denver Post. “I’m 22 years old. I’m not here to sit on the bench. I’m here to play basketball. And it’s a tough decision for me, from a starting spot and 20 minutes to four straight (games of not playing). … You control what you control, and I let my agent do the rest of the stuff.”“I’m going to do what I can do; come here, work every day hard and be professional like I should be,” Nurkic said."
While Nurkic is the only player listed as a center on the Nuggets roster according to ESPN, they have other players capable of playing that position. Jokic has excelled there, while Kenneth Faried has also found success at the 5-spot.
If the Nuggets do in fact look to trade some of their younger talent as has been speculated, Nurkic is a logical trade piece. He does not seem to have a role on the team right now, so if they can flip him for a useful asset to help push them forward would make some sense.
But, is trading someone with talent and potential of Nurkic worth losing to the Golden State Warriors or San Antonio Spurs in the first round? The Nuggets will need his size against some teams, as he is the only player on the roster listed above 6’10” inches tall.
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It is something the Nuggets will have to evaluate in the coming weeks; is trading away a young asset worth pushing forward their current timeline? If the Nuggets were going to dip into their treasure trove of young players, the backcourt and wing position seems like a more likely place to move a player from.