The trade between the Nuggets and Kings was finally made official on Sunday. The disgruntled Jonas Valanciunas was sent to Denver in exchange for Dario Saric. Whether JV wants to be there or not, it would appear as though the Nuggets finally got their backup center.
They may still have some work to do in terms of convincing Valanciunas to get on board, but at least his contract now dictates that he’ll be playing in Denver this season. But that means another veteran big man, Al Horford, is likely not going to be playing for the Nuggets this season.
Horford has become a hot commodity on the free agent market ever since it became clear the Celtics are taking a “gap year” thanks to Jayson Tatum’s injury, and they won’t be bringing back the 39-year-old big man.
Despite his age, there has been very little decline in Al’s game. He has still been one of the best big men in the league in recent years, becoming a three-point shooting ace, an elite switch-big, and a rock-solid rim protector. There aren’t many guys in the league who can provide the two-way play at center like Horford.
There are even fewer that can do it while making a below-market salary, and even fewer who have proven to rise to the occasion, and save their best for the playoffs. Horford would have been a dream fit on the Nuggets, but that dream is almost certainly dead with the addition of Valanciunas becoming official.
Horford would have been a better backup option than Valanciunas
The shame of it all is that Al would have been a much better option for Denver than JV. However, the Nuggets may not have realized just how available Al was when they initially made the deal, and the opportunity to get off of Saric’s contract may have been too good to pass up.
Once news broke of how upset Valanciunas was about the whole situation, that’s when Denver started to pivot and look at other free agent options, like Horford. Horford would have been incredible, and if he was willing to take a minimum or something close, that would have been a home run of a signing.
But it’s hard to be too upset about this one. Valanciunas is still the best backup center the Nuggets have had in ages and will be a great addition to a suddenly loaded bench. Horford would have almost been overqualified for the role and may not have been content serving such a deep reserve role, unlikely to ever start or close games.
Now, Horford seems destined to land with the Warriors, where he’ll have an opportunity to be an important part of a closing unit with Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green. So, in the end, perhaps this situation worked out for the best for everyone. But man, it sure would have been nice to see Big Al in the Mile High City.