Jrue Holiday
Herein lies the best option for the Nuggets.
Jrue Holiday is a veteran stuck amongst a young, rebuilding New Orleans Pelicans core, and he’s already been linked to Denver in multiple trade rumors.
He’s widely regarded as one of the game’s best two-way guards, which would be refreshing for this Nuggets’ backcourt, which currently consists of two very one-sided players.
Holiday is averaging 19.6 points 6.9 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from deep.
Offensively, he plays well at either guard spot and would be a swell fit next to Murray. Holiday uses his thick build to get to the hoop at will and is a strong playmaker and shooter alike.
It’s easy to imagine a smooth Nuggets attack where either Holiday or Murray run the pick and roll with Jokic. Both are strong enough shooters to space the floor off-ball, and each can capitalize on a defensive mismatch in isolation.
On the stopping end, Holiday’s 1.7 steals ranked 9th-best in the league, and he has the strength to contain bigger guards. He’d be taking top defensive assignments on the nightly, as he’s one of the league’s better one-on-one defenders.
Although only 6’3, Holiday is bulky enough to not be considered undersized at either guard spot. However, he does have some injury history, playing under 70 games in six of his 10 seasons leading up to 2019-20.
Holiday likely comes cheaper than Beal, as Denver could possibly snag him without parting with Murray or Porter. New Orleans may require multiple first-rounders or the likes of Bol Bol and PJ Dozier, however.
Denver should make Holiday their top priority, as he’s a congruent third star with less of an insane salary and trade cost. Although he’s not quite on Beal’s level, his fit with this current Nuggets team would be strong, and he can likely be acquired without sacrificing Murray or Porter.