The Nuggets and Michael Malone had all but left Zeke Nnaji for dead after he fell completely out of the rotation a couple of seasons ago. He had been glued to the bench for two full seasons, then the team went and bolstered their depth in the offseason, sealing his fate with the team despite three years remaining on his contract extension.
He spent the first few months of this season toiling away on the sidelines, with a deep rotation of players ahead of him. But thanks to injuries up and down the lineup, including to both centers on the roster, Nnaji has been thrust into action recently.
Nnaji came into this season as nothing more than an unmovable contract and a human representation of “break glass in case of emergency”. But now, the Nuggets have reached the point of an emergency, and Nnaji has gotten an opportunity.
And much to the surprise of just about everyone, Nnaji has been thriving as the first big man off the bench. Over the last four games, Nnaji has averaged 23.75 minutes, 12.5 points, and 4.5 rebounds per game, making 6 out of 12 three-pointers.
On top of that, and perhaps most importantly, Nnaji has been rock solid on the defensive end, holding his own on switches and offering rim protection. He has recorded 6 steals and 6 blocks over the past four games as well, proving to be a much more capable defender than we’ve ever seen in the past.
If Nnaji continues strong play, he may become trade candidate
The Nuggets have been dying to move Nnaji and get his contract off their books almost since the day his extension was inked, but no other team has been willing to take on the money, especially without assets coming along with him, which Denver hasn’t yet been willing to spare.
But if Zeke can continue putting out some solid tape, teams around the league may start taking notice. He’s clearly overpaid, in the second year of his 4-year, $32 million extension, but that deal shouldn’t be a complete non-starter for younger, rebuilding teams that aren’t close to worrying about aprons and salary cap penalties.
Still just 24 years old, a 6’9”, athletic, floor-spacing big man could have some appeal to a number of teams. If anyone is willing to bite, the Nuggets could clear the roughly $8 million off their books, and then could sign Spencer Jones to a standard contract, duck under the luxury tax, and have a roster spot and money to spare.
We’re not exactly at the point of Nnaji being a desirable trade asset, but if he keeps playing well, it only takes one interested team to solve a lot of the Nuggets’ issues.