3 most untouchable Denver Nuggets in offseason trade talks

If this offseason has taught Nuggets fans anything it’s that the front office is not afraid to shake things up and nobody’s spot is as safe as it may seem. The team that cruised to a title in 2023 has seen Bruce Brown, Jeff Green, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope leave in free agency, and now Jamal Murray’s future even appears in question as an uncomfortable contract situation lingers with every passing day.

The offseason started with trade rumors about Michael Porter Jr. coming out left and right and now that speculation has moved onto Murray. 15 months ago people were talking about the possibility of a dynasty in Denver. Now it feels like the team is on the verge of getting blown up any minute and starting a soft rebuild around Nikola Jokic.

And it’s important to mention Jokic because this all revolves around him; he is the sun in the Nugget’s universe. Jokic is the best player in the world, one of the best players of all time, and he’s proven that he can be the clear alpha on a championship team.

The team should be going all in to support his prime years and doing whatever it takes to maximize this title window. Still, instead, they seem resistant to sacrificing long-term flexibility in favor of immediate winning.

Whether it’s fair or not, this seems to be the reality of the situation. And to make matters worse, the coach and front office are reportedly now at odds. What recently seemed like one of the most stable organizations in sports suddenly seems to be in shambles.

This has fans wondering what’s next. What will be the story that comes out tomorrow? Who will be the next player shipped out of town? Is anyone truly off-limits? Well, the answer to that is yes…and no. There is one true untouchable, but now that Murray’s future is unclear it appears that may be it. Still, you’d have to think there are players currently safer than others. Here are the 3 most untouchable players on the Nuggets.

3.) Aaron Gordon

Through the recent success, the Nuggets have relied most heavily on their “big 3” of Jokic, Murray, and Gordon. One could argue that Gordon is third in that pecking order, but what he does on defense, out of the dunker spot, and the general energy he brings, Gordon is one of the biggest keys to the success of this team.

The championship starting lineup has already seen KCP leave and now Murray and MPJ are in trade rumors as well. Murray is entering the final year of his contract and remains without an extension. Murray wants a full max and the team is unwilling to offer that at this time. 

Nothing is imminent, but given the circumstances, it’s fair to wonder if the team would consider offers for Murray. MPJ is in trade rumors for different contractual reasons as the issue for him is that he’s overpaid for his role on the Nuggets. The team would benefit from moving the expensive Porter Jr. for multiple, cheaper, role players.

So that leaves Gordon. The Nuggets can’t break up the entire veteran core and Gordon has been a perfect backcourt mate for Jokic since arriving in Denver. He's on a very cheap contract and is eligible for an extension very soon at a reasonable price; the Nuggets should look to get that done quickly and make sure Gordon is in town for the rest of the Joker’s prime.