Five Trades the Denver Nuggets Should Consider

Nov 28, 2014; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Lance Stephenson (1) complains after being called for a foul during the second half of the game against the Golden State Warriors at Time Warner Cable Arena. Warriors win 106-101. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

The Big Risk: Lance Stephenson

A lot has been written about the possibility of Lance Stephenson landing in Denver, and most of the discussion seems to be split down the middle regarding whether or not he’d be a good fit for the Nuggets. I happen to fall squarely in the middle. The idea of Stephenson in Denver is intriguing. Although he has struggled this season since joining Charlotte, he’s proven himself to be a capable scorer, above average defender and world-class, on-court troll. Whether you love or hate his tactics, Stephenson is the kind of player who can impact a game beyond the stat sheet with his willingness to mix it up and play mind games with his opponents. His antics could wear out his welcome quickly in Denver, but I have to be honest, I kind of want to see Denver morph into a tough, physical squad that murders anyone who tries to drive in the paint and does whatever it takes to get opposing players off their games.

Plus, Brian Shaw is very familiar with Stephenson following their time together with the Indiana Pacers. I have to imagine Shaw would vouch for the guy and could find a way to keep Stephenson from getting too close to the edge.

The addition of Stephenson would likely mean moving Randy Foye or maybe even Arron Afflalo (who, let’s not forget, has a player option after this season and very likely could leave Denver without the team getting anything in return). Stephenson isn’t the scorer that Afflalo is, but the one thing the Nuggets have shown so far this season is that they can win without any player hitting 20+ points a night, so long as they have 5-7 guys contributing around 10-15 points.

Likelihood of Lance Stephenson Joining the Nuggets: Above Average (mostly because of his connection to Brian Shaw)

Next: The Reluctant Returner