The Denver Nuggets agreeing to a training camp deal with Lonnie Walker IV certainly raised eyebrows and made some questions pop up. One of those questions surrounds Julian Strawther. Are the Nuggets going to actually commit to him this season as a rotational player? Or did they just make him compete for minutes with Walker after Tim Hardaway Jr.'s departure opened up those minutes? Because Strawther should get the shot over Walker this year unless the Nuggets have bigger plans to deal Strawther this offseason.
Strawther played great last season when he was given the chance. The issue is that Nuggets head coach David Adelman kept the same mentality as former head coach Michael Malone, and Adelman leaned into the veterans Hardaway and Bruce Brown to fill wing minutes instead of developing Strawther more.
Strawther deserves the chance to play in the rotation
Sure, Strawther saw a decrease in minutes, but he lost the minutes to the aforementioned Hardaway, who had a resurgent season for the Nuggets and nearly won the Sixth Man of the Year Award. But when he was given the chance, Strawther made up for it.
In 14 starts and 26.5 minutes in those starts, Strawther averaged 14.8 points on 48.4% shooting, including a strong 38.5% from three. He can get downhill, often one of the few Nuggets who can score on drives to the rim. For comparison's sake, Cameron Johnson averaged 12.2 points and Christian Braun 12 points, so clearly Strawther can score.
And in 254 possessions with the Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Braun, and Johnson unit, Strawther was part of the sixth-best half-court offense, with a 14.7 offensive rating. Strawther is great on offense. His defense isn't great, but it's no worse than Hardaway's. Strawther just got passed over for the veteran.
The Nuggets need to get value for Strawther, or give him a chance
Strawther is extension eligible off of his rookie contract up until the day the season starts. Otherwise, the Nuggets will embark on the same path with him as they're currently on with Peyton Watson in restricted free agency next season unless they truly want to let him go.
They shouldn't let him go. They should at least try to deal Strawther for a second-round pick or two if they don't plan to play him. Some team will take a chance on a 24-year-old former first-round pick with offensive upside.
But the Nuggets shouldn't do either of those. They should let Strawther go prove himself to start the season and evaluate from there. His upside speaks for itself. Besides, the Nuggets have a potential new defensive stopper in Alpha Diallo, who they can deploy alongside Strawther to help cover on defense. If they don't like what they see? Then trade him. But give him the chance before giving the spot to Walker out of camp.
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