Grade the trade pitch: Blockbuster 3-way deal reunites Jokic with fellow countryman

Fake trade season is in full swing as the NBA world is less than two weeks away from the NBA draft and the unofficial start of free agency. The hot stove is heating up and what’s sure to be another crazy transaction period across the league is set to get underway.

The Celtics and Mavericks still have unfinished business in the NBA Finals, but the rest of the league is dreaming about making moves. The Nuggets are limited this offseason in what moves they can realistically maneuver, but that hasn’t stopped anyone from speculating and dreaming big.

The latest example comes from Andy Bailey over at Bleacher Report who cooked up a massive three-team trade with some big names and major draft capital changing hands.

This is a whopper of a trade to digest with tons of moving parts. For the Magic, it’s an all-in move that gives them a superstar point guard and sharp shooting wing player to add to their young core which includes Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. This would be the move that Magic fans have been waiting for to vault the team into true contention.

For the Hawks, this trade would represent a bit of a soft reset. They’d be giving up on the Trae Young era, adding a decent young player, a nice young prospect, and a lot of draft picks. This would signal the start of a rebuild and would most likely indicate that veterans like Dejounte Murray wouldn’t be long for Atlanta.

Jonathan Isaac and his fit in Denver

But the most interesting angle of all here may be for the Nuggets. There has been plenty of speculation about Michael Porter Jr. trades and this one has the potential to be pretty solid. For just MPJ and this year’s 28th overall pick, they’d add one of the best defensive players in the entire league in Jonathan Isaac, and a great shooter and ballhandler in Bogdan Bogdanovic.

Isaac has battled a ridiculous amount of injuries and has struggled mightily to stay on the court during his career. But he had a solid season in Orlando and showcased his defensive abilities both inside and out. He could play some backup center for the Nuggets or chase guys out on the wing. It’s crazy to count on him for more than 25 minutes a game or so, but in the right role, he could be a legitimate game-changer for the Nuggets defense.

Along with the injury concerns, Isaac is entering the final year of his contract which will pay him $17.4 million next season. It would be a pretty interesting audition year for Isaac as he could fit seamlessly on the Nuggets and become too expensive for the team to retain. On the other hand, he could struggle to stay healthy yet again and perhaps be had on an even cheaper deal - if the team even wanted to keep him at that point.

What can Bogdan Bogdanovic bring to the table?

Bogdanovic would be another interesting move, especially for his offense. Bogey is a true gamer who has a history of hitting big shots. He doesn’t need much space to get his shot off and he can score and make plays off the dribble with the best of them. He’s 31 years old and not a great athlete or a defensive ace, but he can add an element to this offense with or without the ball and hasn’t shown signs of decline.

Making Bogey even more appealing is his obvious connection to Nikola Jokic, his fellow Serbian. The two have a relationship and have played together on the Serbian National Team for years. It certainly couldn’t hurt to add a friend and someone with existing chemistry to Jokic, the best player alive. If it helps to keep him happy in Denver, even better. His contract is also attractive as he just finished the first season of a four-year, $68 million declining deal.

Would this trade make sense for the Nuggets?

Trading MPJ and breaking up the 2023 championship starting lineup would be a tough pill to swallow for Nuggets fans. But the reality of the situation is that Porter Jr. is overpaid and his contract is part of the reason that the Nuggets are facing an uphill battle in roster building with the new CBA in place. 

This deal would diversify MPJ’s salary slot into two rock-solid players who each have smaller, more tradable deals themselves. Bogey should largely be able to replace the shooting and offense of Porter Jr. while Isaac would be a massive defensive upgrade and one who could possibly fill the void at backup center as well. This deal certainly comes along with risk (Bogey is older and smaller, and Isaac is a massive injury liability) but the upside is clearly evident and could prove to be extremely fruitful.