Can The Denver Nuggets Afford to Trade Monte Morris?

With the emergence of other rotation players amidst injury crisis, could the Denver Nuggets use Monte Morris as trade sweetener?

Noting the value he’s brought to the Denver Nuggets, you might have looked at this headline and asked, “What? Monte? Why?”

Intentionally trading Monte Morris seems pointless. After all, who else will throw Mason Plumlee those lobs? Isn’t he leading the NBA in Assist/Turnover ratio?

After looking at it, dealing him might be more viable than most Denver Nuggets fans might think.

His Value:

It’s unquestionable that Monte has been such a steady bench presence. He has been one of the best backup point guards in the league. The ability for Monte to east minutes has been invaluable in the stretches of time over this and last season in which Jamal Murray has been hurt.

It’s also for these reasons that Monte may be valued on the trade market. A number of teams could have high demand for a ball handling distributor who doesn’t turn it over virtually ever and is also an efficient shooter (.560 TS% for his career).

The Denver Nuggets use him very effectively. He’s a perfect complement to the bench unit, running an effective Pick n’ Roll with Mason Plumlee. He plays decent defense as well.

The value in the regular season for Monte is unquestionable. Yet, doubt arises when we ponder if Monte can contribute effectively enough in the post season. In a sample of 14 games, Monte Morris played 16 minutes per game, posting only 5.4 points on a very poor .409 TS%. He was also unable to make a three-point shot in 224 minutes of playoff basketball.

He’s able to pick passing lanes defensively, but he frequently was beat by quicker and larger guards. He’s a smart defender, but is often found at a physical disadvantage.

Can the Denver Nuggets replace him?

Denver has only two point guards on the full 15-man roster, Monte Morris and Jamal Murray. If the was dealt without bringing a point guard back, the roster would only have Jamal Murray.

The immediate answer, in any case, would undoubtedly be P.J. Dozier. He’s been excellent in his minutes in the NBA this season. He was even more dominant in the G-League. He’s certainly proven that he belongs in an NBA rotation.

There’s a case that P.J. Dozier can be more effective as a backup point guard than Monte Morris. He has far superior physical tools, with adequate mental capacity and composure to be a playmaker at a high enough level. Monte protects the ball much better, but P.J’s length gives him a wider margin for error and more passing angles. He’s also an excellent player in the pick n’ roll, and is capable of throwing entry passes in the post to Nikola Jokic.

P.J. Dozier will likely end up as a much better defender. His length serves him well, and he’s patient and quick enough to stay in front of opponents.

He has a quick first step on drives, which was instrumental in his efficient 21 points per game in the G-League this season. The question would be around his shooting. He’s significantly worse as a shooter from range than Monte Morris. Morris is over 40% from 3 from his career, while P.J. hovers closer to 30%.

Lineups that include P.J. Dozier can be very effective if surrounded with the right personnel. He has the ability to be a similar player to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander if he can increase his shooting ability in a meaningful way.

As of now, he’s limited in that capacity. Lineups with Dozier and presumably Mason Plumlee off the bench could probably not function effectively if any of the other three spots are filled with non-shooters like a Torrey Craig.

At this point, it’s a question if Monte can bring back enough value in a trade to afford the reduced lineup flexibility.

The bright line should be along the lines of this: If a deal that will vault Denver into contention must include Monte Morris, the Nuggets should feel confident that the back-up point guard minutes can be adequately absorbed by P.J. Dozier and Will Barton.

By no means should the Nuggets trade him flippantly, nor for low value, but his skill-set is replaceable and he shouldn’t be considered untouchable.