The NBA trade deadline is still over two months away, but the league's landscape is quickly coming into focus. The Nuggets have started to settle into the season with their new roster; young players are progressing and Russell Westbrook has helped to solidify the bench units and added a nice dose of energy and intensity.
But still, this team looks far from complete; their flaws are obvious and it doesn’t look like help is coming internally this season. The Nuggets need to upgrade this roster if they truly want to compete for a title - and anything less amidst Nikola Jokic’s prime would be completely unacceptable.
The only problem for Denver, is they have severely limited assets to work with, and making a tangible upgrade will take a lot of work. The Nuggets have four players making at least $22 million this season, all of whom are essential pieces of the team and locked up for years to come; Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Michael Porter Jr.
It’s safe to assume that barring something drastic, those four players will be staying on the Nuggets and won’t be traded this season. In terms of young players that might have value to other teams, the Nuggets really only have Christian Braun, Julian Strawther, and Peyton Watson.
But all of those player are making under $4 million this year and they are important parts of the Nuggets rotation and their plan for the future. The team’s veterans will also be very difficult to move; Westbrook is vital to the bench and guys like Dario Saric and DeAndre Jordan hold no value to other teams.
The Nuggets must trade Zeke Nnaji for a rotation player
That really just leaves one player on the roster who makes over $5 million, isn’t a key part of the rotation, and is young enough to have potential value around the league; backup big man Zeke Nnaji.
Nnaji had a strong season two years ago, which earned him a healthy four-year, $36 million contract extension. But last season he fell out of the rotation and this year he has proven to be basically unplayable for the Nuggets.
But Nnaji is still just 23 years old and possesses a nice combination of size and shooting ability. At $8.8 million this season, his contract isn’t completely imposing. There’s a chance that a young, rebuilding team might be willing to take a shot on Nnaji, especially if Denver is willing to sweeten the deal.
The Nuggets should target any veteran role player on a non-contending team who may be able to fit into Denver’s rotation. They just need talented players who can provide consistent minutes. Nnaji can’t do that, and he’s the fifth highest-paid player on the team.
Whatever it takes, the Nuggets must find a way to either attach a young player or a draft pick with Nnaji and his contract to get back a helpful rotation player; ideally, somebody who can give the team minutes during the playoffs.