Denver Nuggets Trade Deadline Rumors and Player Fits

Denver Nuggets Trade Deadline Rumors:

The Denver Nuggets have recently been tied to a few different players as potential targets in hopes of getting this team over the hump.  The Nuggets now enter the back half of the 2021 season with another deep playoff run and a championship on their minds.  There are a few trade targets that could very well help them inch closer to accomplishing their goal before the NBA trade deadline.

Let’s look at the top 3 players that have been rumored to the Nuggets.

Aaron Gordon

Aaron Gordon would be a somewhat splashy move for the Nuggets.  He could slide right into your starting 4 position and be interchangeable with MPJ at the 3 as well.  The athleticism he brings would certainly be exciting, it’s been a while since the Nuggets had that athleticism at the 4 position.  Aaron Gordon is averaging close to 15ppg shooting 44% from the field and a career-best 40% from deep.

Gordon is a very solid defender on bigger small forwards as well.  Most importantly is the fit within the Nuggets offense which is largely centered around Nikola Jokic, think back to how Jokic worked well with high-flyer Kenneth Faried, Jokic would certainly know how to find Gordon running the court and feed him easy buckets for someone who can play above the rim.

Lonzo Ball

Apparently, the Nuggets have interest in Lonzo Ball and have an offer on the table surrounding Bol Bol.  Lonzo Ball makes a ton of sense for the Nuggets as well.  If you look at what hurts the Nuggets since Gary Harris has been out with his injury is the lack of perimeter defense, too often opposing point guards can get where they want on the court, Lonzo absolutely helps with that.

Lonzo is a high IQ player who excels at playmaking.  Lonzo on the Nuggets solves a couple of things; he can take the point guard duties and move Jamal to the 2 position where he can focus on scoring which he’s been doing more of lately with Monte Morris and Facundo Campazzo taking most of the point guard duties.

Lonzo’s high IQ is a great pairing with Nikola Jokic, he would know how to play with Jokic and vice versa.  He would have outlets in Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Nikola Jokic.

Ball movement is essential to the Nuggets offense and Lonzo would bring more of that.  Another plus is that Lonzo is having a very solid shooting season becoming more reliable in that area with career highs in points and field goal percentages.

Harrison Barnes

Mike Singer of the Denver Post reported that the Nuggets are interested in Kings forward Harrison Barnes.  Harrison Barnes seems to be an obvious fit as a reliable 3 & D type of player and a more traditional small forward.  The Nuggets are missing that type of player on the wing, but Barnes is a player who can give you defense and is also a consistent scorer averaging a little over 16 pts a game.

Barnes could prove to be a really good plug-and-play SF in a Denver Nuggets offensive system where he could be shot-ready or simply keep the ball moving.

It’s hard to really see how effective he can be since he’s playing on a struggling Sacramento Kings team headed in a different direction, but the Nuggets who have a clear offensive identity could be a great landing spot for Harrison Barnes.

Other Notable Trade Names:

Other names that have been floated around out there are sharpshooters JJ Reddick and Buddy Hield.  Adding a shooter a defense would have to pay attention to along with Denver’s (brewing) “big 3” would be ideal and very hard for an opposing defense to stop.

For example, the Nets have their big 3 in James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant, but as a defense, there is no way you can forget about Joe Harris because he can light it up from long range.  That makes the Nets that much more difficult to beat, so adding a shooter to a Nuggets offense which already moves the ball well could be beneficial.

Larry Nance Jr. is another name that has been floated around who could provide athleticism and defense at the 4 position like Gordon.

Whatever the Nuggets do, they have put themselves in a good spot this year while their core players have seemingly taken a nice step forward.