The free agent market is slowly but surely drying up and the Nuggets have still yet to sign anyone. Things are looking fairly grim for the team’s pursuit of new talent, but all is not lost. There are still a number of players out there, many that could help the Nuggets immediately and make a large impact.
Every year we see players get squeezed out and end up with no partner to dance with. This ultimately leads to players settling for discount contracts, usually for one or two years, giving them an opportunity to prove their worth and hit the market again in a year or two.
This is exactly how the Nuggets ended up signing Bruce Brown a few years ago and with any luck, they can pull another rabbit out of the hat this offseason. There are a few players in particular who are sitting on the open market, wondering what team will sign them.
Nuggets must aim for discount shopping
These guys were surely expecting and hoping for big contracts and long paydays, but the money has dried up and it doesn’t appear that those offers are coming. The Nuggets don’t have much to work with, but they can offer the $5.2 million taxpayer midlevel exception or try to swing a sign-and-trade using Zeke Nnaji’s $8.8 million and maybe attach some smaller contracts.
In reality, the Nuggets can’t offer any of these players what they would ideally like to make. But they can offer them a large role on a contending team, an opportunity to play alongside Nikola Jokic. They’d have a chance to show their worth to the world while possibly winning a ring (or at least competing for a title) and then hitting free agency again next year for another shot at a big payday.
There’s certainly no guarantee that any of these players would be interested in that situation, but it can’t hurt to ask. Chances are these players are frustrated and annoyed with their markets. They are all proud players who may now have a chip on their shoulders and embrace this type of role and opportunity.
Here are three players that are still out there waiting to be snatched up by the right team. They would all garner huge roles for the Nuggets and this could be seen as a mutually beneficial situation for the team and the players.
No. 1) - Gary Trent Jr.
Trent would be the sharpshooter the Nuggets have been seeking for several years. The Raptors are leaning into youth and a rebuild and GTJ no longer fits their timeline so it doesn’t look like they’ll be bringing him back. The market has been cool for shooting guards, but the Nuggets just saw theirs sign with the Magic.
Trent could slot right into the starting lineup and suddenly between Jamal Murray, Trent, and Michael Porter Jr. the Nuggets would have some pretty elite three-point shooting. Trent can be a high-volume shooter from distance and he doesn’t need a lot of space to get his shot off.
He’s got some ability off the bounce too and he can make plays as a secondary guy or off weakside actions. He can also pump fake and attack a closeout so he’d be a real spacing threat in the corner. His dynamic scoring and shooting ability would bring the Nuggets’ starting lineup to another level offensively.
He’s not nearly the defensive player that Caldwell-Pope is, and he’s a bit undersized to guard wings, but he can fight and hold his own out there. The team could still choose to have Christian Braun start and bring Trent off the bench as a super 6th man to add some serious punch to the second unit.
No. 2) - Markelle Fultz
Fultz has had a wild career arc, going from the #1 overall pick for the 76ers to being almost out of the league. But he has latched on in Orlando and proven to be a very solid two-way point guard for the Magic. Unfortunately for him, the Magic are now loaded with guards and wings which has made Fultz expendable.
But he can run an offense, get to the basket, make plays, and set up teammates. He can get out in transition and he can defend well for his position. The one thing missing for Fultz is the issue that has plagued him for years, his shooting. He still hasn’t come close to being a reliable three-point shooter - and that will likely never happen - but he can still help a team in a lot of ways.
Fultz would be a natural fit as a sixth man in Denver and would take the keys to the second unit right away. The other interesting piece here is that the Nuggets and Magic could get creative and try to tie this move in with the KCP deal as some kind of sign-and-trade. If they could find a way to make this mutually beneficial it could work out easily for everyone and Fultz could even get a little more money.
That could allow him to sign a longer deal and build some stability in Denver. The team badly needs a backup point guard and Fultz would be a welcome addition.
No. 3) - DeMar DeRozan
This is the big prize still available on the free agency market. The chances of DeRozan taking such a small deal are thin, but nothing is impossible. The veteran star clearly had higher hopes when he hit the market, but it has become clear that the deal he wants isn’t out there.
The Nuggets aren’t known to be on his wishlist, but why wouldn’t he want to come join up with Jokic for a year and prove he can still play at a high level? The Nuggets need another scorer and especially someone who can pressure the rim and get to the free-throw line.
DeRozan can do that in spades and is also one of the more clutch players in the entire league. He’d be a massive addition to the Nuggets and would give them another trusted option down the stretch in big games. The one thing that has eluded DeMar in his career has been a championship and playing in Denver would give him his best chance.
This would be a pretty healthy pay cut for DeMar, and there’s no indication that he’d be open to it, but it can’t hurt to ask. Make a call, see what he wants, and see if there’s any way to make it work. If so, the Nuggets could completely flip the narrative around their entire offseason.