The Nuggets are off to a great start this season, but if there’s one hole left on the roster, it’s the backup point guard spot behind Jamal Murray. The perfect veteran floor general for the second unit will be available on December 15th, and that’s Dennis Schroder of the Sacramento Kings.
So far, Denver has been patching together those minutes with a lot of Bruce Brown, some Jalen Pickett, a little Tim Hardaway Jr., and Peyton Watson, along with a lot of playmaking from the center position, either Nikola Jokić or Jonas Valančiūnas. It hasn’t bitten them, but this may not be sustainable over the course of a long regular season and against elite playoff competition.
Inevitably, Murray will miss time, either for rest or injury, and the Nuggets need to have a backup plan in place. Brown isn’t a true point guard, and Pickett isn’t an established NBA rotation player. A proven veteran would go a long way to eating some innings throughout the course of the year, and helping the team maintain a crucial top seed, and as much homecourt advantage as possible.
On top of that, the Nuggets are eventually going to have to face teams with dynamic, defensive guards in the Thunder and Rockets, and they need to be ready with as much reliable ballhandling as possible, or they’ll get eaten alive. Trusting Brown or Pickett, even for short stretches, to run the offense may be a big ask.
Trading for Schroder will be challenging for Nuggets
Schroder signed with the Kings in the offseason and will be eligible to be traded on December 15th. The Kings were seemingly hoping to compete in the West, but they’ve gotten off to an abysmal 3-12 start, and Schroder has already been replaced in the starting lineup by Russell Westbrook, of all people.
But Schroder has proven over the course of his career that he’s a dog and would rise to the occasion given a chance to compete for a title. The Nuggets need a steady hand in the backcourt who can shoot and run the offense without tanking the defense; Dennis fits the bill.
The issue here is finding a trade that makes sense. Schroder signed a three-year, $44 million deal in the summer and makes a tick over $14 million for this season. Any deal for Denver would have to start with Zeke Nnaji and his $8.2 million, but they’d have to find an additional $6 million in salary, while making this worthwhile for the Kings.
To make it work, they’d have to offer some combination of young players that may have some appeal, like DaRon Holmes, Julian Strawther, Hunter Tyson, or Pickett. Ultimately, as nice as it would be to have Schroder, that’s a lot to give up, and a tough contract to take on. Realistically, Denver is likely better off waiting for a cheaper option that can offer a similar return.