The Denver Nuggets are a wagon.
They boast the best offensive rating in the NBA, even after Nikola Jokić missed a month with a knee injury before returning to drop 31-12-5 in less than 25 minutes last Friday.
They have trucked through most teams, and despite injuries to not only Jokić, but also Aaron Gordon, Cam Johnson, and Christian Braun, leaving them without starters in all but 10 games this season.
Still, they face an uphill climb. As Sunday night’s loss to the Thunder shows, the Nuggets still could use reinforcements.
Here are five trade deadline targets that can secure a title for the Nuggets.
Ayo Dosunmu, G, Chicago Bulls
The Bulls will reportedly look to shed salary ahead of the deadline, and it’s either Dosunmu or Coby White who are most likely to go, according to league sources.
If Dosunmu is available, the Nuggets should definitely be aggressive with their limited assets. Dosunumu has evolved into a Sixth-Man-Of-The-Year level player for Chicago, shooting 51 percent from the field and a whopping 45 percent from three-point range.
But it’s his defense that the Nuggets could use most. With Christian Braun having a down year before suffering a severe ankle injury, Denver is light on perimeter defenders outside of Peyton Watson.
Dosunmu would kill three birds with one stone for the Nuggets, giving them a versatile perimeter guard to get over screens and slow down the types of quick scorers who burn them while also cutting and knocking down open shots. He’s a dream candidate for Denver.
Josh Okogie, SG, Houston Rockets
Okogie had big games early for Houston but has started to slide in the rotation now that they’re closer to healthy.
If Houston goes looking for a point guard, the Nuggets might be able to use expiring or non-guaranteed contracts along with pick swaps to get in on the deal to acquire Okogie. He fits the system well as an off-ball player who can shoot (39 percent this season from deep).
His length and athleticism would help Denver defensively, and at just $2.2 million, he’s easy to move on an expiring contract.
Quenton Jackson, PG, Indiana Pacers
The Nuggets need a secondary ball-handler who can provide a change of speed. Jalen Pickett has shown flashes, but Jackson is a low-salary option to take a flyer on a low-risk player while potentially ducking the luxury tax (a priority for Denver).
Jackson has been sneaky efficient for the gap-year Pacers, and they’ve actually won his minutes which is rare on Indiana this season. He’s turnover prone, only a 36 percent shooter, and has low upside at age 27. But Denver’s not looking for home runs, but potential singles to get more runners on base behind their star power.
Josh Minott, PF, Boston Celtics
Minott flashed in preseason and had a terrific start early for the Celtics, but has basically been completely erased from the rotation, having not played serious minutes since Christmas. The Celtics are looking at different lineups and combos, making the young veteran expendable.
The other key area of need for Denver is backup power forward. They don’t really have one behind Aaron Gordon with Cam Johnson playing mostly wing minutes when healthy.
Minott would provide a great buy-low opportunity on a 23-year-old with upside, and he’s shot 59 percent from two point range and 45 percent from deep. His rebounding leaves a lot to be desired at the position, but next to Jonas Valanciunas or limited stagger minutes with Nikola Jokic, he could provide some insurance as Aaron Gordon recovers from another soft tissue injury.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, SF, Milwaukee Bucks
Hear me out.
The Nuggets big problem with improving the team is they have too many good players making big salaries. Aaron Gordon, Cam Johnson, Christian Braun, all quality players who can help teams win, alongside Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.
The Bucks would be in a position to move Gordon or Johnson to a contender in a multi-team deal that nets them the draft capital the Nuggets don’t have beyond one first-rounder far in the future. Christian Braun comes with a poison pill contract that makes it almost impossible for him to be moved, except to a team looking to move a big contract like Milwaukee.
Aaron Gordon is basically a folk hero in Denver. Moving him would be brutal. But if you have the chance to put two MVPs next to one another, with five between Giannis and Jokic, you have to consider it. The combination would be clunky, awkward, and awesome, with so much size and physicality that teams would be overwhelmed.
A natural question here is “what about Jamal Murray?” but even Jokic and Giannis would need a guard to play with on the perimeter. The better point here might be to showcase that no matter how good you are, even a team that won a title that currently has the No.3 seed in the West, you still have to make the call about Giannis Antetokounmpo. That’s how great he is.
Other potential Nuggets targets: Jalen Smith, Donte DiVincenzo, Brandin Podziemski, Aaron Holiday