3 Sleeper trade targets for the Denver Nuggets to pursue

The appetite for change in Denver is still a major storyline this offseason for the Nuggets. We know that coming into this season, the team planned to build a young bench through the draft in order to create long-term sustainability under the new salary cap, setting them up to potentially build a modern-day dynasty.

But the way this season ended, with an ugly loss at home in game 7 of the second round to the Wolves, then seeing the Wolves get pummeled in 5 games by the Mavericks, the Nuggets may be reconsidering their approach.

The team doesn’t have a ton of realistic options this offseason, but the emphasis will likely be on retaining Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and making moves on the margins to shore up the bench and improve depth. Sure, there is a chance they go big-game hunting or aim for some type of roster-balancing move by shipping out Michael Porter Jr. this summer, but that seems unlikely at the moment.

If the Nuggets do attempt to pull off a trade this summer, they may look to trade Zeke Nnaji and his $8.8 million salary plus some draft capital to bring back a reliable rotation player. Here’s a look at three players who aren’t generating a lot of trade buzz, but would be great sleeper targets for the Nuggets to pursue.

1.) Add a big young shooter in Corey Kispert

Kispert has been a solid NBA player but it’s hard to judge with what’s been going on in Washington. The Wizards have had almost zero consistency during Kispert’s tenure and seem like they are finally starting a true rebuild with a new front office, coaching staff, and #2 draft pick on the way.

The Wizards will certainly pick up Kispert’s team option, but he may not be a part of their long-term plans at this point. They may look to deal him as they build around even younger players. But for the Nuggets, Kispert would provide a perfect injection of youth at age 25. He’s a true sharpshooter and can play some defense on the wing. 

There’s a chance he could break out on a good team with elite offensive talent around him. That would be the case in Denver as he’d probably be able to focus on his best skills and would be fed open opportunities to knock down jumpers.

He could start or come off the bench, and could easily slide into the lineup to replace either KCP or MPJ if needed; making those players slightly more expendable if nothing else. The 6’7” 25-year-old coming off shooting over 38% from three on 6 attempts a game would be an excellent target for the Nuggets this offseason if the Wizards are selling.