KD? Ingram? PG-13? Butler? Do the Nuggets have any chance of trading for a superstar?

This time of year, NBA trade rumors are popping up left and right, and different superstars across the league are said to be available wherever you look. The first big domino of the offseason fell on Tuesday night as the Knicks acquired Mikal Bridges from the Nets in exchange for almost a decade's worth of first-round draft picks.

But that trade seems to have only fanned the flames ahead of the 2024 NBA draft and Wednesday has already seen trade rumors around such superstars as Trae Young, Brandon Ingram, Jimmy Butler, Paul George, and even Kevin Durant. Who knows if any of these guys will end up being moved, or if they’re even available, but the speculation will never cease.

With all of this crazy speculation, Nuggets fans are surely wondering, ‘How do we get in on this action?’. This is a fair question as it seems like more than half the league is caught up in different rumored transactions and their fans are wondering what the team will look like next season and beyond.

So could the Nuggets actually swing a deal for a superstar?

The short answer is yes, but the real answer is no. In theory, the Nuggets could find a way to make it work; it is legal for them to do so. But realistically, the players listed above all make enough money that could only be matched by sending out Nikola Jokic - which obviously is not going to happen.

Now there is a possibility that the Nuggets could aggregate salaries to make a deal work, but that would require Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to leave in free agency. If KCP departs, the Nuggets could use Michael Porter Jr.’s contract and pair it with players like Zeke Nnaji and/or Reggie Jackson to reach the matching salary required for some of the stars mentioned above.

But even in that scenario, the trade would have to make sense for both sides and the Nuggets just don’t have the assets to make a deal like this work. We just saw Bridges cost the Knicks 5 first-round picks and a first-round pick swap. Some of these stars may not cost quite that much, but even so, Denver simply doesn’t have anywhere near the ammo required to get a deal done.

If the Nuggets make a star trade this offseason, it would entail completely emptying the proverbial clip and mortgaging the entire future for a small window built around a small handful of players. In other words, don’t get your hopes up, Nuggets fans.