The Denver Nuggets could be shaking up the roster this summer to change the team's makeup. If they do decide to make a trade that involves Jamal Murray or Aaron Gordon, the team's two biggest trade pieces, they need to acquire more depth in lieu of trying to acquire future draft picks. Future draft picks won't help the Nuggets win now or next year while Nikola Jokic's still in his prime.
Plus, the Nuggets just don't have the picks to start building around in the first place. They've only got four future first-round picks and two future seconds, and they lack the control to trade the first-round picks. The future is not only bleak on the pick front, but it's not like the Nuggets would play these young guys anyway.
David Adelman never really tested out DaRon Holmes as the backup in the non-Jokic minutes, and Jalen Pickett rarely saw the floor. It's a holdover trait from the Michael Malone era.
The Nuggets weren't as deep as we thought
The Nuggets were thought to be deep this season. It turns out that after a couple of injuries, the Nuggets were down to playing Spencer Jones on his two-way contract in the starting lineup for a large chunk of the season. Sure, he did great in the reserve role, and he absolutely deserves to be brought back on a minimum contract, but the keyword there is "minimum."
The expectations for Jones can't be so high at his contract price. That's why everyone's been clowning Christian Braun for coming up short of the expectations of his five-year, $125 million extension that kicks in next season.
That's why it's key for the Nuggets to acquire more depth, over draft picks. They were reluctant to play Julian Strawther during the playoffs. That means at least two solid players for Murray or Gordon, preferably a third that the Nuggets would actually play instead of the draft pick, should be what the Nuggets do. Within salary constraints to make the trade work, of course.
The Nuggets need to make a change
Murray hasn't been the playoff Murray Nuggets fans remember since the Nuggets won their championship in 2022-23. And the whole team played some bad perimeter and paint defense against the Timberwolves, after getting called out by Jaden McDaniels as "bad defenders." It wasn't what Nuggets fans were expecting at all.
Changes are needed, and the Nuggets need to be deeper. Even if that means giving the young guys a chance to show what they've got. Who knows? Strawther or Holmes could be the next rotation player.
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