The Nuggets have a lot of factors working against them this offseason, and while there are plenty of rumors around splash trades out there, this summer may well be defined by the moves on the margins. One move that wouldn’t be particularly sexy, but could be a huge domino in solving several issues, would involve reaching out to the Celtics.
But not about a Jaylen Brown or Derrick White deal that would likely involve Jamal Murray or Aaron Gordon. They should be calling about Sam Hauser. Hauser is a solid player who would fit well in Denver, but the key to this deal is that the Celtics have a $27+ million traded player exception from their Anfernee Simons deal at the deadline.
Nuggets save a lot of money swapping Cam/CB for Hauser
That means Boston can take on any salary up to that amount without matching. They’d still need to take some money back to make it work, but it’s a great opportunity for an imbalance trade, something the Nuggets are desperate for.
Denver could send either Cam Johnson, who will make $23.1 million next season, or Christian Braun, who’s due $21.6 million, into Boston’s TPE, while taking back Hauser, who’s on the books for just $10.8 million next season. So, the Nuggets could save over $12 million with a 1:1 trade that could be spun as a lateral move.
This would be a massive step towards re-signing Peyton Watson, and it wouldn’t involve touching the three core players or blowing up the depth. Boston is unlikely to want Braun’s five-year deal after the season he just had, but Johnson could be very appealing to them as they look for upgrades around their stars.
Hauser would fit like a glove with Jokic
Meanwhile, Hauser would be an ideal role player in Denver. He’s a dead-eye shooter and one of the best floor-spacers in the entire league as a threat from anywhere on the court with a laser-quick release. He would offer ideal gravity for Nikola Jokic and whoever else is left on the team, and just wrapped up the first year of a very reasonable four-year, $45 million contract.
He’s a wing with solid size who’s hardly the liability on defense he’s often perceived as. He’s not as good a player overall as Cam, but he’s not that far away, and he may offer more with his one elite skill than Johnson did with his supposed balanced attack.
Denver wants to up their three-point volume, and they haven’t had a true marksman like Hauser in a long time. He would be in constant motion, getting lost while eyes are locked on Jokic, and could add a missing element to this already-elite offense that could open things up even more.
To add that, without compromising much else and saving a very nice chunk of change should be a no-brainer for a front office that isn’t staring at a bunch of great options to try and save this championship window.
Add us as a preferred source on Google