Denver Nuggets: What to expect when free agency kicks off

Denver Nuggets free agency primer: Which free agents could help?

The Denver Nuggets have not had a problem scoring the ball in some time: that’s not usually an issue when you’ve got an offensive unicorn-like Nikola Jokic, who just earned NBA MVP honors. Unlike nearly every other seven-footer that came before him, Jokic is a facilitator first, though his own offensive arsenal has been shown to be quite potent as well.

In Joker, MPJ, and Monte Morris, however, you’ve got three sharp offensive weapons that go quite dull when flipped onto the defensive end. Aaron Gordon was a small step in the right direction there, but after the way they were beaten by the Suns’ backcourt in the playoffs, the front office has hopefully realized that something more needs to be done.

The Nuggets are likely to let Troy Daniels go and have probably had their fill of the Austin Rivers experiment, so the backcourt will need replenishing in the offseason next to two-way guards Shaq Harrison and Markus Howard, the latter of whom has already received a qualifying offer from Denver, per Keith Smith:

The return from injury of P.J. Dozier will be a huge boost here, as the young guard is generally seen as the team’s best on-ball defender—and while that isn’t saying much, Dozier’s ceiling as an elite two-way guard is very high. Facundo Campazzo’s peskiness doesn’t always make up for his lack of size and defensive skill, so finding themselves a defensive-minded guard could be a boon for this team.

The Houston Rockets decided not to pick up veteran guard and defensive stopper Avery Bradley’s option, which prompted Singer to posit that after hearing Bradley’s name linked with Denver at the trade deadline, he “would not be shocked” if the Nuggets have their eye on him during this free agency period.

I know, I know, re-signing their own free agents and a defensive guy like Bradley are not exactly splashy moves in the vein of the Gordon trade, but with their backs up against the proverbial salary cap wall, they’re not going to be swinging for the fences.

Another intriguing option is the Boston Celtics’ recently acquired Kris Dunn, who is also an excellent on-ball defender as well as a solid playmaker. Dunn recently picked up his $5.3 million player option for next season before heading to Boston in the Tristan Thompson three-way deal.

The Nuggets could be a great candidate to trade for the 27-year-old who’s shown impressive flashes but has been written off by most of the NBA seemingly very prematurely.

As the Rockets get younger, they will start shedding their veterans, as they did with Bradley. Wing player Danuel House Jr. is another candidate to get the axe in Houston, as the team is now stocked with elite young talent at his position after drafting Jalen Green second overall. House wouldn’t be a starter, but he’d be a great guy coming off the bench to guard the opposition’s top wing player while providing solid three-point shooting.

Malik Monk, whose contract is up with the Charlotte Hornets after four years, is another intriguing option if the youngster doesn’t find a big payday somewhere else. Averaging just under 12 points per game in a largely reserve role, he could come cheap, and he’d be a great source of scoring off the bench.

J.J. Redick and Lou Williams are a couple of other candidates which the Nuggets could target to help boost a Denver bench unit that will likely be losing their primary ball-handler and scorer, Monte Morris, to the starting lineup while Murray heals up.

Williams is very comfortable handling the ball and can get his shot up from pretty much anywhere while leading the second unit. It’s also safe to say that the 34-year-old is ring-chasing at this point in his career. The Atlanta Hawks, his last team, had a Cinderella playoff run last year, but I think it’s fair to say that the future looks a lot brighter a lot sooner in Denver.

Redick is more of an off-ball option for the second unit and could possibly even push Will Barton for late-game minutes at the two if the latter gets cold. Though he had a down year last season from downtown, he shot 40-plus percent from long range in seven straight seasons before that. The 37-year-old is also prone to winning, with his teams making the playoffs in 13 straight seasons from 2007 to 2019.