The NBA trade deadline is just weeks away, and several teams are feeling the pressure to make a move before it's too late. A few teams have headlined the trade market, but none more than the Denver Nuggets and Washington Wizards. However, these squads have very different goals heading into the deadline.
Although the Denver Nuggets are just two years removed from winning the NBA championship, it feels like a lifetime ago that they rose to the NBA mountaintop. In the NBA, if you don't adapt year by year, it will be your death, and the Nuggets haven't made any significant roster tweaks in years.
This season the Nuggets are 4th place in the West—solid, by many accounts—but they're trending downwards. As the trade deadline approaches, they have been rumored to make a splash to gear up for another title run.
The Washington Wizards are in a much different position. The Wizards have the worst record in the NBA at 6-32, and it's nothing new. They haven't had a winning season since 2017-2018 and went full "tank mode" last season.
The pairing of Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma has been awkward at best, and Kuzma has been floated around in trade talks for some time. Looking to place some building blocks towards success, adding depth and star talent is a major goal for Washington at the deadline.
NBA Trades: The Nuggets add much-needed depth, and the Wizards add scoring.
Although a deal between these squads may seem surprising at first glance, the trade below could be interesting for both:
Let's start with this move from Denver's perspective. Yes, losing Michael Porter Jr. would sting, but swapping his scoring prowess for much-needed depth might just be the key to another championship.
Swapping Porter Jr. for Kuzma is certainly an offensive downgrade, but wouldn't lead to a complete vacancy at small forward. Kuzma puts up just four fewer points and one less rebound per game than Porter Jr. - granted, his shooting splits are considerably worse.
The real value in this trade is the two other players Denver would acquire. Outside of Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets are very thin at the center position. Jokic is the best center in the world and will retire as an all-time great, but they desperately need someone to pick up the slack when he isn't on the floor. Their lack of depth at center was exposed last playoffs when Karl Anthony-Towns and Rudy Gobert took advantage of Denver's thin interior presence.
Adding Jonas Valančiūnas makes a lot of sense. He's putting up very solid numbers this season and is a seasoned vet. At 32 years old, he's still putting up respectable numbers - especially on the defensive end - in just 20 minutes a game. The Nuggets could lean on him when Jokic is resting or injured - think of Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford for the Celtics.
Saddiq Bey is another sneaky steal in this trade for Denver. Averaging 13.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, Bey would be another depth piece that can help replace Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's production of years past. Bey could offer versatility off the bench with his 6'7 frame and solid shooting ability.
Would the Wizards and Nuggets do the deal?
Switching gears to Washington, acquiring Michael Porter Jr. makes sense on paper. The Wizards have been searching for a legitimate secondary scoring threat, and Porter Jr. seems to be the best option on the trade block. Porter Jr. has been the third option on the Nuggets for years now, and his potential to be a 20+ points per game scorer in a heightened role is obvious.
After the small forward swap, this trade gets dicey for Washington. With Alex Sarr looking promising, trading away an aging Valančiūnas makes sense; however, bringing in Zeke Nnaji brings little value, especially when replacing Saddiq Bey.
Nnaji plays just four minutes and just 1.2 points per game with subpar shooting splits and an inability to shoot the three-ball. Worse, Nnaji makes $8 million a year. Bey's has significantly better numbers on a much cheaper contract.
Swapping their fourth-leading scorer for a nearly unplayable player makes nearly no sense. This trade would be a significant downgrade for Washington outside of landing Michael Porter Jr. Overall, if this trade goes through, it would be a massive win for a Nuggets squad with championship aspirations. For the Wizards, a temporary boost in scoring may not be worth the steep price.