Grade the Trade: Nuggets swap starter for disgruntled All-Star in mock proposal

For the second offseason in a row, the Denver Nuggets lost a key veteran after Kentavious Caldwell-Pope signed with the Magic in free agency. Denver's offseason has caused many to believe the team will be another early playoff exit.

Because of that belief, mock trade proposals have floated around on the Internet. The goal is to keep the Nuggets competitive in a stacked Western Conference and to maximize the roster around Nikola Jokic. Unfortunately, the collective bargaining agreement complicates things. Still, the mock trades keep coming.

Bleacher Report trade idea sends former All-Star to Nuggets

Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley created four trades centered around Zach LaVine, Bradley Beal, Jerami Grant, and Jordan Poole. No, Buckley didn't reunite Grant with Denver. Instead, he sent LaVine to the Nuggets.

The former All-Star has spent the past seven seasons in Chicago. Because of his low trade value, he'll soon enter his eighth season with the Bulls. Buckley thinks adding LaVine before the 2024-25 season will help the Nuggets "keep pace" in the West, but it'll require losing a starter.

Let's take a look at the proposed trade and determine if it's one that would benefit Denver.