Five Trades the Denver Nuggets Should Consider
Nov 15, 2014; Portland, OR, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Garnett (2) reacts to a referee after a foul was called at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
The Short-Term Savior: Kevin Garnett
That’s right. Kevin Garnett, The Big Ticket, could be just the player to step in and help the Nuggets make a run at this year’s Western Conference playoffs. Several NBA experts are theorizing that the Nets are ready to make just about every player on their roster available, and there’s little doubt the Nuggets have assets that Brooklyn covets to help them reboot. KG would bring experience, leadership and intensity to a team that struggles in all three categories. He’s the type of player that leads by example and is respected by his peers. He would be a great mentor to some of the Nuggets young players, as well.
KG would count $12 million against the books, but he’s in the last year of his current 3-year deal. That means at the end of the season, he could either re-sign with the Nuggets, leave via free agency or even choose to retire. And as long as the Nuggets played it smart, any of those options would be fine. If Garnett could come in an make an impact this season, I’m sure Nuggets fans and members of the team’s front office would have no problems saying farewell to KG and wishing him all the best in his future endeavors.
Garnett is currently averaging 23 minutes per game for Brooklyn, so he’s not going to be a workhorse that Nuggets could ride into the ground. And although he’s only averaging around 7 and a half points per game, he’s still grabbing 8.5 boards per contest. Both of those stats would be a slight improvement over J.J. Hickson, the player who most likely would be part of the package that brought Garnett to Denver.
Again, KG isn’t going to bring multiple championships to Denver and his best days are certainly behind him. But if the Nuggets are serious about scratching and crawling their way into the playoffs this season, he’s the kind of veteran who could help lead the charge.
Likelihood of Kevin Garnett Joining the Nuggets: Average
