Denver Nuggets: Imagining a Donovan Mitchell-Nikola Jokic tandem

The Denver Nuggets had a unique opportunity to enjoy the league’s best big three in the 2017 NBA draft after trading Donovan Mitchell.

The Denver Nuggets are led by an awesome star duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. But just as the team once did with Rudy Gobert, they traded a future star to the Utah Jazz on draft night. Mitchell is one of the league’s most feared scorers, and has emerged as a unique vocal leader on a deep roster at just 23 years old.

Mitchell and Jokic would terrorize opposing defenses up and down the floor with little difficulty. Mitchell averages 23 points per game for his career, which is higher than both Murray and Jokic. The Nuggets have consistently been linked to other superstar players who could be available on the open market such as Bradley Beal as the team continues to look for a third star.

While Michael Porter Jr. could ultimately become that player, his development to that point is still several years away. The Nuggets would indeed have that reality with Murray and Jokic, as both of them have helped catapult the team to the third seed in the Western Conference.

However, neither Mitchell or Murray are particularly good distributors. In fact, Jokic averages more assists for his career than both star guards. Having three primary scorers might become a bit of a power struggle for the Nuggets, especially considering none of them are particularly strong outside shooters. Jokic shoots just under 34 percent from three point range for his career, while Murray shoots 36 percent.

Mitchell clocks in at 35.5 percent. This trio would need a lot of shooting around the perimeter to space the floor for three players who thrive in isolation offense. The Nuggets have made a number of risky trades in recent years, most of which have paid off. But the Nuggets may have missed a chance to have the league’s nastiest big three.