The Denver Nuggets have one of the deepest rosters in the western conference, but they could still use more reinforcements in the backcourt. Fred VanVleet fits the bill.
If the Nuggets feel they can compete with the toughest teams in the NBA, they are going to be aggressive in the next couple of summers to try and accomplish that. The Nuggets took a cheap flier on Isaiah Thomas after he was let go by both the Cavaliers and Lakers, which didn’t pay dividends for them.
The Nuggets’ offense suffers noticeably without Jamal Murray on the floor. Once he and his 19 points per game hit the bench, the Nuggets can be become helpless at times trying to score. Fred VanVleet could help solve this problem for the Nuggets. His elite outside shooting and underrated facilitating are exactly what this team needs.
The biggest obstacle in trying to lure VanVleet away from the Raptors is the amount of money it is going to cost Denver. He is in the final year of a two year/ $18 million deal that left him grossly underpaid after the kind of series he had against the Golden State Warriors in the finals. Denver could absolutely use his scoring prowess off the bench in an effort to compete with other teams in the western conference that boast tremendous scoring depth.
VanVleet and Murray could also play some together in certain lineups. Gary Harris and Will Barton mostly need to stick to their own positions to really remain effective without stagnating the offense at all. VanVleet can slide to the two spot or simply back up Murray. VanVleet’s 6.6 assists per game are nothing to ignore for a player who mostly has come off the bench during his career.
Denver has been missing this type of player for too long. They need a steady, composed point guard who can knock down outside shots, similar to the mold of Jordan Clarkson, Reggie Jackson, and Jalen Brunson. VanVleet remains one of the best backup point guards in basketball, and should the Nuggets find the necessary cap flexibility to make a move for him, they should absolutely do so.