The Denver Nuggets are climbing right now after a 136-100 beatdown of the Milwaukee Bucks on the road at Fiserv Forum to nab their fifth straight victory and push themselves into the top-five in the Western Conference standings.
Despite this recent run, Denver may need a piece or two more to complete their championship pie. Guard play has come under the watchful eye of Mile High Basketball fans after seeing Jamal Murray go down with injury and head coach Michael Malone lose what hair he has left dealing with the inconsistencies of Facu Campazzo and Austin Rivers.
Ahead approaches the NBA trade deadline and a chance to add to the pot of talent the Nuggets have stirred up in recent weeks, including names like DeMarcus Cousins and Bryn Forbes being mixed in with Denver’s traditional talents Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon that they’ve been leaning on.
Names like Dejounte Murray, Ben Simmons, and Caris LeVert have either reportedly been on the trade block or seem attainable via trade. These names have surely piqued the interest of Nuggets faithful in the hopes that one of these could be the thread that ties the Nuggets’ roster together on the way to a Larry O’Brien Trophy.
I’ll run through my case for trading for each of these players at the 2022 NBA trade deadline.
Denver Nuggets big-name trade targets: Dejounte Murray
Dejounte Murray is multifaceted and offers a variety of skills that the Denver Nuggets covet, including the ability to score, pouring in 29 points last Friday in a win against Chicago.
Murray sees the court well and offers burst and finish that Denver would welcome as they search for scoring in Jamal Murray’s absence. Also, the aforementioned Dejounte trails the reigning MVP Nikola Jokic for eighth among double-double leaders in 2022, offering up potential for added value on the court when both are teamed together.
Murray works well with others, and after seeing how far Jokic has been able to take Aaron Gordon’s game, it makes fans wonder what he could do with Murray. With ten or more assists in his past six games, Murray is proving he could feed scorers like Forbes, Gordon and Will Barton with ease, and has shown tenacity at both ends of the court this season.
The 25-year old Murray has shown All-Star flashes this year, and his game mirrors that of De’Aaron Fox. His ability to facilitate offers intrigue at the trade deadline, and it would likely come down to picks in order to land the shooting star guard.
Considering Denver’s play of late, they may be satisfied with what they’ve done and who they have so far, but maybe another guard in Philadelphia could bring Denver what Murray can’t, and at a different cost.
Denver Nuggets big-name trade targets: Ben Simmons
Recently, the Sacramento Kings have dropped out of trade talks regarding Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons according to Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN.
Fans are speculating where Simmons will land ahead of the trade deadline, if he gets moved at all. The 25-year-old Simmons is a quality facilitator much like Murray, a highly-drafted three-time All-Star and a Rookie of the Year selection in 2018, showing he can work with high-profile stars like Joel Embiid.
Simmons has left fans wondering what he could bring in 2022 after holding out due to mental health reasons, but his past leaves hope that he could add a boost defensively and as a passer.
Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone has shown the ability to work with players like Boogie Cousins who have seen their fair share of fines during their NBA careers, and due to SImmons’ holdout saga, Malone would then be coaching the most-fined player in NBA history.
James Harden sits as the most likely target for Philly if they were to move Simmons before the deadline, but Simmons would surely add a unique element to a Denver team searching for star power to team with their MVP center.
Simmons’ inability to score at times would be a concern for Denver, as we’ve already seen backlash about Campazzo’s inability to score.
Indiana’s Caris LeVert offers scoring and slides in as the third option for Denver as they look for answers ahead of the deadline.
Denver Nuggets big-name trade targets: Caris LeVert
Caris LeVert is 27-years-old and has been mentioned in recent reports as trade bait while the Pacers look to keep pace in the East. LeVert is averaging 18 points per game on the season and would bring more of what Denver is likely looking for than the previous name mentioned, SImmons.
LeVert hasn’t scored less than ten points since 1 Dec. 2021 and would be a sight for Jokic’s sore eyes in the corner for some open 3-pointers as the Nuggets look to run things through their MVP who’s averaging a triple-double over the past week.
Although LeVert’s efficiency has dipped of late, he can bring the heat when healthy.
LeVert has overcome health issues to blossom into quite the scoring option, and would be a nice sheath for Jokic’s sword offensively as Denver searches for a Jamal Murray-esque scorer on nights when Forbes and Bones Hyland don’t have it.
Denver likely stays put ahead of the trade deadline with the way they’ve been playing, as hope dwindles that we will see a return of Michael Porter Jr. to the court any time soon and flickers surrounding the possibility of a Jamal Murray return.
Adding Forbes was a savvy move after the fallout from the Bol Bol disaster and heads are turning at Hyland’s play now that he’s had a few games under his belt after being on and off the COVID-19 list.
There are guards available at the deadline though, that could bring a punch Nuggets fans have been looking for as they try to carve out a surefire top-five spot in the Western Conference standings ahead of the All-Star break.