5 Trade targets Nuggets should explore after December 15
By Tyler Watts
3. Dennis Smith Jr.
The Nuggets have a crucial decision to make about their backup point guard spot. They re-signed Reggie Jackson to a two-year $10.2 million contract in the offseason after he fell out of their playoff rotation in 2023. Jackson is off to an outstanding start to this season, but does Denver need more defense when the games matter most?
The Nets signed Dennis Smith Jr. to a one-year minimum contract in the offseason. The former lottery pick was virtually out of the league before resurrecting his career with the Hornets in 2023. He is not a shooter and has lost his elite bounce, but DSJ plays stout defense and makes plays.
Brooklyn is in the Play-In Tournament mix right now. Do the Nets decide to buy or sell at the deadline? They need additional help if they want to make a deep playoff run. Would Brooklyn push further in and risk maxing out as a fringe playoff contender? It is no easy decision, but it could lead to a soft sell.
The Denver Nuggets could acquire Dennis Smith Jr. on the cheap and have another option to turn to in the postseason. If they need an offensive boost, Reggie Jackson will be ready, but the Nuggets could use Smith Jr. to lockdown a surging guard on the perimeter.