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Denver Nuggets: Three trade targets on the wing

By Sean Carroll

Denver Nuggets trade targets: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope #1 of the Washington Wizards dribbles the ball against the New Orleans Pelicans in the first half at Capital One Arena on 15 Nov. 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets trade targets: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope #1 of the Washington Wizards dribbles the ball against the New Orleans Pelicans in the first half at Capital One Arena on 15 Nov. 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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Denver Nuggets trade targets: Terrence Ross #31 of the Orlando Magic looks on during the fourth quarter of the game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on 2 Jan. 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets trade targets: Terrence Ross #31 of the Orlando Magic looks on during the fourth quarter of the game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on 2 Jan. 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images) /

Denver Nuggets wing trade targets: Terrence Ross

Terrence Ross has had a very interesting career but since being traded to the Orlando Magic, has been part of two rebuilds and found little-to-no postseason success.

The wing is currently under contract for this season and next, due $12.5 million and $11.5 million this season and the next and is as serviceable as ever. This season, he’s averaging 12.8 points while shooting 31 percent from behind the arc and 42 percent from the floor.

Those aren’t incredible numbers, but they’re also coming as one of the lone veterans in a rebuilding Orlando team that doesn’t have elite playmaking or spacing.

When trading for Ross, a team would hope to get an earlier version of him in Orlando, one that takes and makes plenty of 3-pointers and can act as a catch-and-shoot specialist.

If you read my under-the-radar trade targets piece, you’ll know I’m a proponent of the ‘Jokic bump’, the idea that taking a player out of a bad situation and putting them next to the MVP will give them more open looks and thus an increase in shooting efficiency.

We’ve seen some players make a living while playing next to Jokic and career-highs across the board for Aaron Gordon this season is more proof of the bump. Ross would even be coming from the same team as AG.

Being under contract for a season after this one, Ross would help the Nuggets for the remainder of this season, adding spacing to a team that needs it badly but also sliding right in as the starting small forward both this season and next.

The above trade sends out enough salary to match Ross’ number (after the Bol Bol trade) and gives Orlando another first-round pick for their rebuild (it’s starting to look like Denver is just picking apart the Magic and funding their rebuild).

Since Ross is on the wrong side of 30, it’s unlikely there’s another team out there offering a premium first-round pick and since he’s not part of their young core, swapping an ageing player for salary and a pick that will likely be in the 20s isn’t a bad piece of business for the Magic.

But while in the market for a wing and this being the price, could Denver get a better player?

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