The Denver Nuggets are looking to make some changes next season, but those changes probably aren't going to include Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Nuggets are not included in the batch of 10 teams ESPN's Bobby Marks explored as options for Giannis, and it pours cold water on the idea before the window even opens that the "Greek Freak" could call Denver home.
It's not a shock, obviously, as the Nuggets have a mess in the financial department coming their way for next year and beyond. The Nuggets are pressed right up against the second apron, and given the holes they have to fill, it just doesn't make sense for the Nuggets financially.
Still, it would be nice to see the Nuggets on the list with the other contenders, with a shot to land Giannis. But if the Nuggets aren't on a decently long list of potential suitors for a chance to pair Giannis with Nikola Jokic, then they must be in pretty bad shape from a salary and need point of view, and they absolutely are.
The Nuggets are going to have trouble staying under the second apron
The Nuggets are pressed right up to the second apron already, and they've only got 10 players plus their first-round pick on the books for next year. They need to round that out to 15 and add four more players to fill out the roster, but there's just not enough space for that many without some changes.
None of this includes re-signing Peyton Watson, who is expected to command a large contract this summer after a season in which he blossomed into a potential star. The Nuggets need to make re-signing Watson a priority since he fills the team's voids that were missing against the Minnesota Timberwolves in their first-round playoff exit.
Watson is an athletic perimeter defensive player with scoring upside. But re-signing him puts the Nuggets way over the second apron, which the Nuggets aren't likely to do because of the penalties involved. But, team president Josh Kroenke did say "all options" are on the table, so who knows what happens.
If this trade did happen, it would probably involve Jamal Murray
If there was some way to make the Giannis to Nuggets trade happen, most likely it's Jamal Murray front and center. Murray has been front and center of many speculative trade offers to start the offseason, and he's the Nuggets' biggest trade piece.
Murray's value has never been higher. He's coming off his first All-Star selection, and he's got a great chance of making his first All-NBA team. But trading Murray means parting with a fan favorite. At least landing a player like Giannis in return would soften the blow. But that trade seems highly unlikely.
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