NBA Free Agency 2017: 5 offseason needs for the Denver Nuggets
By Adam Stocker
Here are five holes the Denver Nuggets should address during the NBA offseason.
The Denver Nuggets just missed out on the NBA playoffs. Denver finished 40-42, while Portland hit 41-41 to qualify for the playoffs. There is no denying the Nuggets are close to breaking through to the NBA playoffs. Head coach Mike Malone will be entering his third season in Denver. While Tim Connelly enters his fifth season as the general manager and executive vice president of basketball operations with the Nuggets. If Denver does not make the playoffs next year, Connelly could be looking for a new job.
Connelly has done an excellent job managing the Nuggets’ salary cap. Denver currently has 13 players under contract for $74.7 million. The Nuggets are well below the projected cap of $102 million. The 2017-18 luxury tax is expected to be around $122 meaning Denver could potentially sign two max level players. Assuming Danilo Gallinari exercises his player’s option and becomes a free agent, the Nuggets will have another $16 million in cap space to spend. Denver will have a decision to make, attempt to resign sign Gallinari or move onto someone else.
Here are five players that the Denver Nuggets should target during the NBA offseason to fill some of their needs.
5. Finding a backup center
The Nuggets have one of the league’s best young centers in Nikola Jokic. The 22-year old averaged 16.7 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. However, Denver only plays the Serbian 27.9 minutes per game, meaning they need to find a capable backup to play the other 20 minutes. Denver acquired Mason Plumlee in a deadline trade and the Duke graduate averaged is a restricted free agent.
Plumlee averaged 9.1 points and 6.8 rebounds with the Nuggets and played well. His passing also makes a seamless fit as Jokic’s backup. However, Plumlee is a restricted free agent so Connelly has a decision to make. The Nuggets will have the right to match any offer made to Plumlee, and that might be the best course of action.
Free agent options for the Nuggets to target include potential reunions with Nene and JaVale McGee but neither seems like a great fit for Denver moving forward. If Connelly decides that he wants to add more defense off of the bench he could target an Aron Baynes or Zaza Pachulia.
Two options for the Nuggets to consider are Nerleans Noel and Greg Monroe. Noel will likely have an offer sheet matched by the Dallas Mavericks. However, Monroe will likely opt out of his player option and become a free agent. Denver will be able to offer him a Brink’s truck of money that might convince him to come to the mile high city.