NBA Rumors: Nuggets eyeing trade for Hornets guard to pair with Jokic

After winning a championship in 2023 and nearly making the Western Conference Finals last year, the Denver Nuggets have had a poor offseason thus far. They lost starter Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Orlando Magic, were forced to trade point guard Reggie Jackson for the cost of three first-round picks and their 2024 first-round selection recently tore his ACL.

Those moves weakened the Nuggets, who were already lacking in depth but they have recently sought to add veterans to address their biggest weakness. That included signing Russell Westbrook and, perhaps now adding, Charlotte Hornets point guard Vasilije Micic according to NBA insider Marc Stein (subscription required).

Micic was one of the best point guards in Europe when he signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder before last season. Nevertheless, he failed to earn a role last season and was traded to the Charlotte Hornets, where he averaged a respectable 10.8 points and 6 assists as a starter.

Can the Denver Nuggets acquire Vasilije Micić from the Charlotte Hornets?

Despite his solid play in Charlotte, Micic's future is uncertain, with starting point guard LaMelo Ball returning after missing most of last season due to injury. Micic is set to make $7.7 million next season, and while that is an affordable price, the Nuggets may be hard-pressed to trade for him.

The only expendable contract they have is that of Zeke Nnaji, who makes a similar salary but has failed to earn a spot in the Nuggets rotation. If Denver had any second-round picks, they could potentially package one or two with Nnaji to get off his bad contract and bring back Micic, but they don't at the moment.

Charlotte could technically waive him if he doesn't win to the backup point guard role since he has a team option for the season after next and would be expensive for a third string guard. He is currently projected to be their backup but recently signed guard Devonte Graham could challenge him. Meanwhile, Denver's interest may be partially due to Micic being teammates with superstar Nikola Jokic on the Serbian national team.

Still, he would be a useful depth piece for the Nuggets, who have a starting point guard with injury concerns. In the meantime, the Nuggets have Westbrook as their backup, with him being a better option, though if Micic shakes loose, he could join Denver.