The NBA trade deadline is just two days away and teams are scrambling to react to the blockbuster trades that have already gone down around the league. We saw the Mavericks come out of nowhere and deal Luka Doncic to the Lakers with Anthony Davis heading back to Dallas in one of the biggest, most surprising trades in history.
Then, mere hours later, the Kings moved De’Aaron Fox to the Spurs, bringing Zach LaVine to Sacramento. Teams are understandably stunned and they need to adapt on the fly and make plans for the rest of this season before Thursday at 3 pm Eastern Time.
The Nuggets are one of those teams in the Western Conference playoff race, just watching the arms race going on around them. Public opinion has gone back and forth in terms of how aggressive the team should be at the deadline, but it’s pretty clear the roster could use an upgrade if they truly want to compete for the title.
Nuggets desperately need perimeter defense at trade deadline
The Nuggets' plans have become even more complicated due to recent injury blows, notably losing Peyton Watson to a knee sprain. Watson was injured in the Nuggets’ January 31st win over the 76ers and didn’t return. It was announced on Monday that Watson will be re-evaluated in four weeks.
Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson suffered a right knee sprain at the Philadelphia 76ers on January 31st and will be re-evaluated in four weeks, team says. Watson has averaged 8.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 24.1 minutes this season. pic.twitter.com/CO5d28DahV
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) February 3, 2025
This is a crushing blow and it comes at an awful time. After losing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the offseason, the Nuggets have counted on Watson to step up and become a defensive stopper on the perimeter - which he has done brilliantly.
Watson has provided much-needed energy and athleticism, especially on the defensive end. The Nuggets don’t have a lot of strong defenders and they count on the ones they do have to relieve pressure from others, but Watson has been the cream of the crop, taking the other team’s toughest matchup whenever he’s on the floor.
Watson and Westbrook injuries could sink Nuggets’ defense
To make matters worse, Russell Westbrook has been one of the only other reliable perimeter defenders this season and he’s also out indefinitely with a hamstring strain. Denver was already hanging on by a thread defensively and now they’re looking at a month or more without two of their best defenders.
If the Nuggets can’t stop the dribble, they are in big trouble. Teams are going to be penetrating, forcing help, getting the defense in rotation, and creating easy shots all game. It’s an issue that has killed the team all season and without Watson, it will only get worse.
Denver can’t afford to be patient. Things are too tight in the West and a bad month could derail any hopes of making a run in the playoffs. The Nuggets need to go out and target potential replacements on the trade market, or this season could quickly be in serious jeopardy.