The Denver Nuggets could be looking to move Jamal Murray this summer as one of their offseason shake-up moves to rebuild the roster. Christian Braun's name could be thrown into the shuffle as well. And now we have a mock trade that sends the duo to the Toronto Raptors that the Nuggets would have to strongly consider if it happened to appear this summer.
Of course, it's totally hypothetical, but Sam Quinn joined Yossi Gozlan on the "Third Apron Podcast" and came up with the idea. And it caught Nuggets fans ears.
Nuggets receive: RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and Collin Murray-Boyles
Raptors receive: Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, and DaRon Holmes
We added DaRon Holmes to their idea because it allowed the trade to pass in the trade machine, so this would appear to be a go on paper. And if it came around this summer, the Nuggets should probably jump on it.
Why the trade makes sense for the Nuggets
Who knows if the Raptors would take an offer like this, but the Nuggets probably should. It would improve some key areas the Nuggets are looking to address going into next season.
Barrett offers an immediate athletic upgrade in the slashing-and-driving-to-the-rim department. He's much better at getting there than Braun is, and he'll play decent defense.
Quickley is quicker than Murray, and his point-of-attack defensive style would be a different variant for the Nuggets. He's also a good ball handler, something the Nuggets were looking to upgrade.
Both Barrett and Quickley are good offensive players, and the void may not be felt much on offense. Barrett averaged 19.3 points, and Quickley chipped in 16.4 points and 5.9 assists. However, the real gem would be Murray-Boyles.
Murray-Boyles has lots of upside
The big picture play in this swap for the Nuggets would be Murray-Boyles. Murray-Boyles is the most athletic player in the swap, and he's already shown the defensive upside the Raptors drafted him for. He's the wing who could give the Nuggets the lockdown defender they need on the perimeter, and he could wind up being one of the best defenders from his draft class.
That's the type of defensive talent the Nuggets need to pounce on. They have a long history of going for offense first. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was one of a kind for the Nuggets during their championship run. They need to catch that lightning in a bottle again, and Murray-Boyles may be that.
Of course, this is hypothetical stuff. But the more we see, the more we realize the Nuggets may have to make a change for the better next season, even if it means parting ways with Jamal Murray.
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