NBA Rumors: Nuggets were in talks to trade for biggest superstar on the market

Now that the NBA Draft is over, all the buzz surrounds trades and free agency. There are multiple star and superstar-level players around the league whose names have popped up in rumors recently and we’ve already seen one star move with Mikal Bridges heading to the Knicks.

But perhaps the biggest star on the market and the player who seems to be controlling the market right now is Paul George. George has a player option but is seeking a long-term max extension that it appears the Clippers are unwilling to offer. 

Paul George appears to the best available player

At least at the moment, PG seems to be the best player who is available and may actually change teams this offseason. George has a known desire to stay on the West Coast, where he’s from, so the Warriors have emerged as a potential suitor. 

The teams with cap space are obvious contenders for George as well, so the 76ers and Magic have come up in rumors. But another fascinating contending team was reported to have had talks about trading for George, the Denver Nuggets.

The Nuggets checked in with the Clippers for a Paul George trade

A story from the Athletic by Sam Amick and Joe Vardon came out on Friday that was based around George and the interest from Golden State. But buried within, the article shared that the Nuggets had serious interest in acquiring George via an extend and trade with the Clippers. That deal would have been built around Michael Porter Jr., Zeke Nnaji, and draft picks (likely the 2024 and 2031 first-round picks plus any available second-rounders).

Interestingly enough, the article made it seem like Denver was the side that backed out of the deal because they didn’t want to part with the draft capital. That’s very informative as the Nuggets’ thinking. Adding George for that price would have been an all-in move on a Jokic/Murray//Gordon/George core. The team would be out of assets and money to spend, but they’d have an excellent top four players.

That team would also be very old and fragile. The immediate ceiling would be monumental, but the long-term risk involved would also be massive. Clearly, the Nuggets value some level of flexibility and very much value their young players and draft picks. So while it would have been an exciting move and one that would have made the Nuggets clear favorites in the West, it doesn’t seem like the team is willing to push all of their chips in for another star at the moment.