Grade the Trade: Nuggets unite MVP winners; make Jokic happy in mock Clippers deal
By Dalton Sell
The Nuggets' perspective.
Denver lost two crucial cogs in the backcourt this off-season, with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope inking a lucrative new deal with the Orlando Magic and Reggie Jackson getting traded for financial reasons. To replenish some of that depth, swinging a trade for Westbrook would make some level of sense for the Nuggets.
Westbrook would bring some more experience to Denver. While he's not the high-flying, triple-double machine he once was, Westbrook can still make an impact nightly with his impressive playmaking and rebounding to go with his scoring. He could fill in nicely for the recently departed Jackson, giving this team a recognizable sixth man to lead the bench brigade.
In addition to the obvious holes in the backcourt, another reason the Nuggets should be eyeing the 35-year-old is that he has a big fan in the organization, reportedly. According to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic has endorsed the idea of bringing Westbrook on, a popular rumor floating around league circles right now.
While the report clearly states that Jokic has not pressured the front office to bring in Westbrook, it never hurts to keep the franchise star happy. On top of staying in Jokic's good graces, management could stock up on some needed backcourt depth by bringing in the former MVP, making it all the more reasonable why they should make a run at him.
On the outgoing end, Zeke Nnaji hasn't played a prominent role during his four-year stay in Denver, so the front office may feel justified in moving him to bring in a player who could fill a current need - and one who will make over half as less this coming season. If they have to attach a second-round pick to get it done, so be it.
Grade for Nuggets: A-