The Denver Nuggets are coming off an interesting season. They fired head coach Michael Malone with three games to go in the regular season. However, they are led by the best player in the world, Nikola Jokic, and interim head coach David Adelman, giving the team a fresh voice.
They rode that momentum through the playoffs, bouncing the Clippers in seven games and giving the one-seed Thunder all they could handle in a seven-game slugfest in round two. Now, Denver is headed for an interesting offseason, with Adelman having his interim tag removed and the roster needing some reinforcements.
The Nuggets desperately need to surround Jokic with more consistent help this offseason. Whether that’s in the form of getting more production out of their young guys like Julian Strawther and Peyton Watson or through the trade market, Denver cannot stand pat.
ESPN’s Shams Charania said he is expecting one of the craziest offseasons ever this summer. The Nuggets could add to that fun by attempting to acquire a star that is on the trade market this offseason.
The Denver Nuggets and Kevin Durant would be the perfect union
Durant and the Suns are expected to part ways this offseason and he will have suitors, especially in the West. The forward is still playing at a high level though.
Durant is coming off a season where he averaged 27 points per game on 53 percent shooting and 43 percent from three-point range. It was the seventh time in his career that he averaged 50/40 shooting splits for a season and even though he is entering his 19th NBA season next year, he has a lot left in the tank.
The Nuggets need to maximize their window with Jokic, and they need more scoring around him. Jamal Murray does have his moments, especially in the playoffs, but he is far too inconsistent to be Denver’s second option.
Having Durant to take the pressure off of him and allow for Denver to be less reliant on the Jokic-Murray two-man game would give their offense a much-needed boost. The problem is, can Denver actually make a trade work?
Phoenix is in the second apron and cannot take on more players than they give up, nor can they take on more salary. Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. would have to be in the deal, and do the Suns want his bad contract and injury history on top of Bradley Beal’s?
Denver also doesn’t have control of their own first-rounders in 2025, 2027, and 2029. They do control 2026 and 2028, which are years that they will likely still be contending in, so Phoenix likely won’t be moved by those picks.
The Nuggets are going to have to get creative if they want Durant, and whether that’s through a three- or even four-team trade, they have to consider it. The West is only getting stronger, and they have the best player in the world, who is playing at an elite level and isn’t getting any younger.
Denver cannot waste Jokic’s prime years, and adding Durant would be the prudent move. The question is, will the Nuggets' new general manager that is hired this summer have the appetite to make it work?