Denver Nuggets: 4 must-dos this offseason
By Sean Carroll
Denver Nuggets offseason checklist: Replace Jamal Murray’s regular season production
With Jamal Murray sidelined for most, if not all, of next season due to his ACL injury he suffered against the Golden State Warriors, Denver will need to find some way to soak up his minutes.
After the injury, the Nuggets signed the best available guard in Austin Rivers but after a sub-par season and playoffs, it’s unsure as to whether he’s the answer for next season.
The best part about Rivers is that he’s happy to take any shot given to him, something Nikola Jokic teams have needed in the past, and he’ll likely only warrant a minimum contract in free agency.
Some of the rotation-level free agent guards out there are Derrick Rose, Bryn Forbes, Lou Williams, Elfrid Payton, Cam Payne, Rodney Hood (non-guaranteed contract), Josh Richardson (Player Option), and Cory Joseph.
The issue with a couple of these players is that they’ll cost too much. That’s where Barton’s option and possible extension come into play. If Barton wants to extend for less annual value but lock in a long-term contract, Denver might be in the market for a Rose or Sweet Lou. If Will comes back at or around his option amount, Denver’s looking at the Cory Joseph’s and Reggie Bullock’s of the world.
If he decides that he doesn’t want to play for Denver, then there are two holes the team needs to fill: Murray and Barton.
The most likely outcome here is Denver sticks with minimum guys here, keep Barton around and then ask for internal improvement. Barton can take the starting spot as a slashing, scoring guard, MPJ can keep his post-Murray hot streak alive, and the backup minutes go to a minimum contract like Rivers.
No, that’s not the exciting avenue, but it’s a very solid happy medium.