Grading the Nuggets’ 2020 offseason moves

NuggLove takes a look at how the Denver Nuggets fared in what was one of their most pivotal offseasons.

The Denver Nuggets didn’t move the needle much, if at all, in their immediate future but they could have the last laugh in the end.

Incoming players : PG R.J. Hampton, PG Facundo Campazzo, PG Markus Howard, F JaMychal Green, F-C Zeke Nnaji, C Isaiah Hartenstein

Outgoing players: SG Troy Daniels, G-F Torrey Craig, F Jerami Grant, F Keita Bates-Diop, F Noah Vonleh, C Mason Plumlee

Key transactions: Re-signing F Paul Millsap on one-year deal, converting C Bol Bol’s contract into standard deal; signing F Greg Whittington and PG Markus Howard to two-way contracts; trading future first-round pick to Oklahoma City Thunder

NuggLove’s projected record: 45-27, 4th in Western Conference

The Nuggets knew they were in store for one of their most pivotal offseasons and the first order of business was trying to procure a trade package for All-Defensive guard Jrue Holiday, a player Denver had long been targeting as a backcourt mate for Jamal Murray. However, with the New Orleans Pelicans preference to trade the well-rounded Holiday to an Eastern Conference team and the Nuggets’ reluctance to include Michael Porter Jr. in a trade package, Denver’s dreams never manifested into reality.

That said, the Nuggets were lucky not to have been the team to trade for Holiday, as the Pelicans managed to get a king’s ransom for a player that has only been named to one All-Star team at 30-years-old.

Credit must be given to Denver not only for preserving their assets rather than making a knee-jerk move but also for acquiring the 24th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft from the four-team trade that sent Holiday to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Nuggets would sent the Oklahoma City Thunder a future first-round pick in return.

The 24th overall pick was used to select point guard R.J. Hampton, a five-star prospect in 2019, and the second first-round prospect that went to Denver on draft night. With the 22nd overall pick, the Nuggets selected big man Zeke Nnaji.

Quick NBA comparisons show Hampton to be a low-maintenance and more coachable version of Russell Westbrook, while Nnaji has shades of Bam Adebayo in his game.

Suffice it to say, Denver nailed the draft.

Especially when they added undrafted rookie point guard Markus Howard, who had the NCAA’s highest scoring average in 2019-20, on a two-way contract.

While the Nuggets got their offseason off to a great start on draft night, it doesn’t appear they were quite as ready for free agency.

After the surprising news that Denver was going to sign a terrific playmaking point guard in Facundo Campazzo at the start of free agency, the Nuggets lost two of their own players  — Jerami Grant and Mason Plumlee — to the Detroit Pistons and Torrey Craig to the Bucks.

This severely hampered the Denver’s defense while placing more immediate pressure on players like Porter and Nnaji and to perform well on that end. As a result, the Nuggets rushed to re-sign veteran forward Paul Millsap while adding a similar player in JaMychal Green.

Unfortunately for Denver, those moves reeked of desperation.

While both Millsap and Green are efficient perimeter shooters with solid passing ability, their defensive versatility is more limited than Grant’s, leaving the door open for players like Bol Bol and Greg Whittington to make a more substantial impact than they would have been able to had Grant returned.

The Nuggets’ decision to sign a backup center rather than a defensive-minded wing that could replace Craig was also a bit of a head-scratcher as well; who guards players like LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard without Grant or Craig?

Denver signing Isaiah Hartenstein, a player with Jusuf Nurkic-like potential, is intriguing due to their track record of locating dynamic big men. However, their decision to sign Whittington to a two-way contract is an underrated move as well, with the forward having all of the skills that Grant possessed and more.

—

NuggLove’s offseason grade: B+

With the addition of Campazzo and the Nuggets’ willingness to give Bol backup minutes, Denver is going to be more fun to watch next season.

Ironically, the biggest positive for Denver is the players they added through the draft, as both Hampton and Nnaji have the potential to be long-term starters — perhaps even stars — for the Nuggets. Two other young players — Whittington and Hartenstein, also have the potential to be in Denver’s rotation for multiple years.

Nonetheless, one of the younger teams in the NBA and one with championship aspirations, the Nuggets have only gotten younger this offseason. This raises questions about whether or not they’ll have enough locker room leadership and in-game experience to take the next step forward.

Overall, the Nuggets’ get a B-plus for how they handled their offseason, with their high grades for the 2020 NBA Draft and under-the-radar signings balancing out their loss of Grant and decision not to bring back Craig.

What grade do you give the Nuggets for their offseason? Let us know on Twitter @Nugg_Love.