Denver Nuggets: 5 way too early mid-season buyout candidates
By Alex Murray
The Denver Nuggets‘ 2021-2022 season will be off and running before we know it on 20 Oct. against none other than the Phoenix Suns, the reigning Western Conference champs and the team that booted the Nuggs from the 2021 playoffs in one of the cleaner four-game sweeps you’ll see.
Since then, the Nuggets have signed perennially playoff-bound forward Jeff Green and re-signed trade deadline acquisition Aaron Gordon to a big fat extension. While Green is a great addition, he’s one of the only differences between that team that was dominated by the Suns back in June and the one we’ve got now.
P.J. Dozier will be healthy again, which will lend a huge boost to a defensive unit sorely needing it. The Denver Nuggets are also expecting (or hoping might be a more accurate description) the youngster to take a big step on the offensive end as well. Will Barton won’t be coming off the physio’s table as he did in the playoffs either, he’ll be fully fit and ready to contribute.
Other than that, you can expect the usual suspects in the lineup—as well as those not in there. Jamal Murray is not expected back on a competitive court anytime soon, so the backcourt could be in real trouble if any other injuries pop back up as they did for Dozier and Barton at the end of last season.
That means that the Nuggets could very well be buyers when veteran buyout season—a new tradition that would seem to be part of the fabric of the modern NBA now—inevitably comes around in the spring of 2022.
Doubtless, our team perched in the Rocky Mountains is more likely to be in the market for a guard whether or not an injury occurs, because the current group in Denver clearly wasn’t up to snuff last season. We’ve got a few ideas of veterans on rebuilding teams that could work out perfect for the Nuggets, with a couple of curveballs mixed in.