Denver Nuggets: Full 2019 Offseason Grades
Trading for Jerami Grant
Wings dominate the NBA. When looking at the MVP voting results from last season, six of the 12 vote-getters played on the wings as shooting guards or small forwards. All of those players were elite on both offense and defense. How do you slow those guys down? You go out and add a player that does both of those things for a lot less money. For the price of one first-round pick, the Nuggets got Grant.
Grant shot 39.2 percent from 3-point while grading out as a +1.4 on the defensive end of the floor. The Nuggets started Craig at the small forward spot for much of last season, but they may look to shake things up by putting Grant in his place thanks to his increased offensive capabilities. He gives them more firepower on the wing without sacrificing a ton on the defensive end of the floor. He also provides security if Michael Porter Jr. takes more time to recover from injury.
For the price of one first-round pick, the Nuggets were able to get a rotation-level wing that isn’t going to break the bank. He’s making just $9.35 million in each of the next two seasons which will help them keep their payments from getting overly expensive. As long as he’s able to continue knocking down open catch-and-shoot 3-point shots, he’s going to be a boon for them over the next two years.