With the regular season nearly 1/3 of the way through, the Denver Nuggets appear to be getting serious in their search for trade help for star Nikola Jokic. They have been linked to several players, but the most serious target appears to be Chicago Bulls Zach Lavine.
LaVine is on one of the worst contracts in the NBA, which will pay him $138 million over the next three seasons. Be that as it may, he is still an elite offensive player who would actually make for a great fit on the Nuggets.
Especially playing alongside Jokic, who could utilize LaVine's athleticism as well as his shooting ability to generate easy looks for him. It won't come cheap, however. The Nuggets likely having to give up Michael Porter Jr., who is arguably their best shooter, despite being on a bad deal, as well as Zeke Nnaji, although he is also on a poor contract.
The biggest question is whether they would have to give up a 2031 first-round pick or a pick swap in a potential deal. A simple swap of those three players would give the Bulls the flexibility of getting off of an awful deal.
Porter Jr. would also be an interesting piece given his age and offensive skill. Meanwhile, the Nuggets would probably be more than willing to part with those players if they can get a clear upgrade without giving up a first.
Latest Intel has the Denver Nuggets trying to acquire Zach LaVine.
Given the Nuggets tight financial situation, them committing to pay LaVine for this season and the next two years would be risky. Even so, they would technically be saving money on a potential trade with Nnaji and Porter Jr.'s salary adding up to more than LaVine's, giving Denver more breathing room underneath the second apron.
They would also save from having to pay Nnaji around $9 million in 2027-28, the year after LaVine's deal ends. Adding more offensive firepower would give Jokic more help and hopefully for Denver, raise their ceiling as a team.
They are currently fifth in the Western Conference standings, and while they are only 2.5 games back from the second seed, they are only 2 games back from the 11th seed. That puts them in a precarious situation with a winning streak thrusting them near the top of the standings.
On the other hand, a losing streak would possibly drop them out of the playoff picture. That increases the need for a big move, and the Nuggets should strongly consider LaVine, despite the risk.