NBA Trade Rumors: Nuggets Eye Defensive Wing to Boost Bench as Jokić Carries Offense
Dec 30, 2022
SACRAMENTO, CA - DECEMBER 28: Michael Porter Jr. #1, Bones Hyland #3 and Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets look on during the game against the Sacramento Kings on December 28, 2022 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Denver Nuggets are looking to add a defensive wing to come off the bench ahead of the NBA's February 9 trade deadline, according to The Athletic's Sam Amick.
"They want to get longer, more athletic, versatile, defensive-minded and bigger in that department. The Gordon trade with Orlando in March 2021 continues to pay big dividends, and adding another player with that sort of skill set would be the dream scenario here," Amick wrote.
The Nuggets already have one of the best offenses in the NBA. They rank second in the league with a 116.4 offensive rating, behind only the Boston Celtics (117.3).
MVP candidate Nikola Jokić is leading Denver offensively, averaging 25.7 points and 9.4 assists while shooting 61.9 percent from the floor and 32.4 percent from deep. The Nuggets also have six other players averaging double digits in scoring—Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr., Bones Hyland, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown.
While Jokić isn't the best defensively, the Nuggets have been even worse on that end of the court without him. The 22-12 club is 24th in defensive rating with a 114.1 overall mark, per NBA.com. That number is 112.1 with Jokić on the court, which would give the Nuggets a top-10 overall defensive rating, but it rises slightly to 114.2 with him absent.
Following the 2021-22 season, the Nuggets acquired Caldwell-Pope in a trade with the Washington Wizards and signed Brown away from the Brooklyn Nets in hopes of improving their defense.
Back in October, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone told reporters that one of his goals in 2022-23 was to mold his team into one of the top five defensive teams in the NBA.
"We understand that you can't be 15th in the NBA in defensive efficiency and be serious about winning at a high level," Malone said at the team's media day. "You look at the two teams in the NBA Finals; they were (No.) 1 and 2."
The Nuggets are far from being one of the best defensive teams in the league, though. If Denver wants to win an NBA title, it's going to have to improve defensively. The Celtics, for example. have the NBA's top offense and rank seventh defensively. They currently sit first in the East with a 26-10 record after reaching the Finals last season.
To their credit, the Nuggets are still second in the West, but if they can improve their frontcourt defense off the bench, they will take a big step forward in contending for an NBA title.
Nuggets' Nikola Jokić Wows Ja Morant, Twitter with Monster Triple-Double vs. Hornets
Dec 19, 2022
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic gestures after being clled for a foul in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Throughout the early part of the 2022-23 season, the NBA MVP conversation has centered on players like Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum and Dallas Mavericks phenom Luka Dončić.
It seemed like Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić was being left out of the discussion, but his performance on Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets reminded everyone why he was named MVP in each of the past two seasons.
Jokić had a monster triple-double with 40 points, 27 rebounds and 10 assists to propel the Nuggets to a 119-115 win at Ball Arena. The 27-year-old grabbed 20 boards in the first half alone and shot 13-of-26 from the field in the victory. It was his second 40-point outing in his past three games.
NBA Twitter was blown away by Jokić's performance on Sunday:
Really hope Nikola Jokić wins a third consecutive MVP. There was so much negativity surrounding his last two seasons and pure ignorance when the discussion turned into "advanced stats are stupid, watch the game" nonsense.
He's one of the most impactful bigs ever, full stop.
The Nuggets opened the month of December with three straight losses, leading many to question whether they can compete against the elite teams in the Western Conference. However, Denver has reeled off wins in four of its past five games, and Jokić has been a major reason why.
After a somewhat slow start to the season, the Serbian seems to have found a groove in recent weeks. During this month, he's averaging 29.6 points, 11.6 rebounds and 9.1 assists on 63.0 percent shooting from the field.
Jokić will look to keep up his dominance when the Nuggets (18-11) host the Memphis Grizzlies (19-10) in a marquee primetime matchup on Tuesday night.
Nuggets Mascot Rocky Championed by NBA Twitter After $625K Salary Is Revealed
Oct 2, 2022
Denver Nuggets mascot Rocky the mountain lion in the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Oct. 22, 2021, in Denver. The Nuggets won 102-96. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Denver Nuggets mascot Rocky is a new hero among NBA fans after it was revealed that he makes $625,000 annually.
Denver Nuggets mascot Rocky is the highest-paid mascot in the NBA with a $625K annual salary 🤯
Rocky makes 10 times the average salary of an NBA mascot (roughly $60K a year)
He’s also really talented. I normally don’t care about mascots, but he’s legit entertaining. Gets up on an 80 ft ladder and shoots basketballs half court backwards
Rocky has always been the highest paid mascot since I can remember. I got to watch him perform every home game in Denver for years when I covered the Nuggets. Dude is a circus show and a performer 🤣🤣
It's clear there is a newfound respect for the position.
Considering other NBA mascots average about $60,000 per year, we could see more aggressive stunts from those around the league.
On the other hand, they don't want to end up like Poe, the Baltimore Ravens mascot who has been ruled out for the season with an injury.
Nikola Jokic Says He Wants to Be 'The Tim Duncan of the Denver Nuggets'
Sep 26, 2022
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 28: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets brings the ball up court against the Charlotte Hornets in the third quarter at Spectrum Center on March 28, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
Nikola Jokic is already one of the greatest players in Denver Nuggets history, and he may not stop until he achieves franchise legend status.
"I want to be the Tim Duncan of the Denver Nuggets," Jokic told reporters at Denver's media day Monday. "But I need to win a couple championships to be him."
The two-time NBA MVP is on a Duncan-like trajectory in one respect since he has spent his entire career with the Nuggets. He's going to remain in the Mile High City for the foreseeable future as well after signing a five-year, $272 million supermax extension.
Plenty of stars have pledged allegiance to their current team, only to leave at a later date. In the case of Jokic, his actions have backed up his words.
It wasn't just that the 27-year-old agreed to a massive deal with the Nuggets; the agreement came with almost no drama whatsoever.
There weren't weeks and months of breathless discourse about whether Jokic would stay in Denver and what his departure would mean for the Nuggets and the NBA as a whole. Following a first-round exit in the 2022 playoffs, he indicated he would sign a supermax extension and that was that.
Assuming he never does leave Colorado, Jokic will have a hard time matching the five titles Duncan won with the San Antonio Spurs across 19 seasons.
In that respect, Dirk Nowitzki is probably the better benchmark. Nowitzki won only one championship with the Dallas Mavericks, but that basically granted him sainthood in the city of Dallas.
For Jokic, bringing the Nuggets their first title would basically have the same effect in Denver.
NBA Rumors: Bucks, Nuggets Contacted Nets About Kevin Durant Following Trade Request
Aug 22, 2022
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 25: Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets takes the ball during Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs against the Boston Celtics at Barclays Center on April 25, 2022 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
The Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets were among the many teams to call the Brooklyn Nets about Kevin Durant, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Both teams wanted to "gauge the price tag" on the 12-time All-Star in June and early July, but Charania noted that "none of those conversations gained much traction."
The Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans and Atlanta Hawks also reportedly contacted the Nets, although there weren't advanced talks in any case.
Durant initially requested a trade from the Nets in June, and Charania reported he reiterated the request earlier this month. The forward gave team governor Joe Tsai an ultimatum to choose between him and head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks.
The Nets have still been deliberate in their trade talks, clearly not willing to part with the superstar for less than his fair-market value.
Injuries limited Durant to just 55 games last season, but his 29.9 points per game tied for third in the NBA. The four-time scoring champion can still clearly make an impact when on the court and could help a team get over the top toward a championship.
The Bucks already have a title with their current core, but last season's run ended in a second-round, seven-game series loss to the Boston Celtics. With Khris Middleton sidelined by an injury, it put a lot of pressure on Giannis Antetokounmpo, who averaged 33.9 points per game in the series. Jrue Holiday (21.0 ppg) was the only other player within 20 points of Giannis' scoring average.
Adding Durant would give the team another offensive weapon and make the Bucks nearly impossible to defend.
It would be a similar case with the Nuggets, pairing Durant with two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic. Denver lost in the first round last year despite having one of the top individual players in the game, but adding another go-to option would help the squad contend in the West.
It's clear both teams would have to be aggressive in their offers in order to complete a deal with the Nets.
Nuggets 2022-23 Schedule: Top Games, Championship Odds and Record Predictions
Aug 17, 2022
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - APRIL 27: Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors plays defense on Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets during Round 1 Game 5 of the 2022 NBA Playoffs on April 27, 2022 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
Nikola Jokic spent the entire 2021-22 season propping up the Denver Nuggets by his lonesome.
Help is on the way.
Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. are expected back at full health this season after combining to play a grand total of nine games a year ago. Murray missed the entire season while recovering from an ACL tear, while Porter missed all but nine games after undergoing surgery on his back.
You know who will probably go into this season with a tired back? Jokic, from carrying the Nuggets all last season.
Jokic won his second straight MVP by eclipsing the performance from his first MVP campaign, putting up averages of 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists. The Nuggets will hope that the health of Jokic's two co-stars allows him to perhaps take on less of a burden in the regular season in search of a deeper run into the playoffs.
Let's take a look at Denver's schedule and see how it shakes out.
It won't take the sting out of the Nuggets' first-round loss, but their first game against the defending champs may be a strong barometer of where they stand this season.
Jokic faced a nearly impossible task of taking down the Warriors during the 2022 postseason, one made all the worse by Jordan Poole turning into the third Splash Brother over the six-game series.
With Murray and Porter back in the fold, this should be a fairer matchup—and a battle of two of the Western Conference's best teams. Jokic presents the Warriors with one of their most difficult defensive matchups. He's taller than Draymond Green and can match his strength, and he overwhelms Kevon Looney down on the block.
Provided Murray gets his initial burst back off the dribble, he's also a matchup nightmare for the less-than-stellar defensive trio of Stephen Curry, Poole and the injury-diminished Klay Thompson.
Philadelphia 76ers (Jan. 28, March 27)
For two straight years, Nikola Jokic has thwarted Joel Embiid's bid for NBA MVP and first-team All-NBA center.
Jokic's Nuggets have also won the head-to-head battle 3-1.
That said, neither team has been at full strength as this budding rivalry has built up. Jokic went long stretches without Murray and Porter, while Embiid played stretches without Ben Simmons and with James Harden at less than 100 percent.
With all of their co-stars seemingly healthy and both teams seeing themselves as title contenders, an Embiid-Jokic head-to-head may have the actual competitiveness level you'd expect from two superstars competing for MVPs.
At the least, it will be a fun game between two of the best teams in the NBA.
Season Forecast
The Nuggets are the Western Conference's biggest "what if?" of the last two seasons. After shockingly making their way to the conference finals during the 2020 bubble, Denver came back stronger with an MVP-caliber Jokic and a version of Porter seemingly on the precipice of stardom.
The Nuggets then cashed in some of their trade chips to add Aaron Gordon at the 2021 deadline and looked very much like a sleeper title contender.
Then...it all fell apart.
Murray tore his ACL just before the end of the regular season, Gordon and Porter both wilted in their second-round series against the Phoenix Suns and the Nuggets navigated their way through a largely forgettable 2021-22 campaign.
Now, the good news: The West is still mostly wide open.
A new, rising contender emerged in Memphis last season, but there is no obvious juggernaut. The Phoenix Suns did not do much to get better after their second-round upset loss to the Dallas Mavericks, the Utah Jazz blew up their whole roster and no one quite knows what's going on in Los Angeles—on either side of the hallway.
If the Nuggets play up to their potential, they'll be on the short list of title contenders.
Record Prediction: 55-27
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NBA Rumors: Suns vs. Nuggets Slated for Christmas Day in Initial Schedule Draft
Aug 14, 2022
DENVER, CO - MARCH 24: Deandre Ayton #22 of the Phoenix Suns plays defense on Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets during the game on March 24, 2022 at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns are expected to join the NBA's loaded slate of games on Christmas Day for the 2022-23 season, according to the Denver Post's Mike Singer and NBA insider Marc Stein.
This is the third game that has been pegged for Dec. 25. Per Stein, the Dallas Mavericks will host the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors will renew hostilities at Chase Center.
Christmas is one of the biggest days on the regular-season NBA calendar, an occasion when the league typically wants to showcase the brightest talents. Therefore, it was somewhat notable when the Nuggets and reigning MVP Nikola Jokic weren't afforded a spot on the card last December.
Nikola Jokic is the first reigning MVP to not get a Christmas Day game since the NBA went to 5 games on Christmas in 2008. pic.twitter.com/C05FQVkZax
History won't repeat itself, and Denver's inclusion is a testament to how Jokic's profile has only grown following his second MVP win. The 6'11" center may not play in a marquee market, but it's impossible to ignore a player who averages 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists while shooting 58.3 percent from the field.
This matchup will also feature two teams that are credible threats to the Golden State Warriors for Western Conference supremacy.
In addition to Jokic, the Nuggets will have Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. back healthy. Denver added some depth by bringing Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope into the fold as well.
Losing to the Dallas Mavericks in the conference semifinals put a damper on Phoenix's season and exposed the fissure between the team and young center Deandre Ayton. Still, Ayton is back, as are the bulk of the Suns' key players. There's no reason to think the squad will suffer a precipitous decline.
The Nuggets and Suns will both look to establish their contender credentials when they take the court on Christmas in Denver.
Austin Rivers Agrees to 1-Year Timberwolves Contract After Nuggets Stint
Jul 15, 2022
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - APRIL 16: Austin Rivers #25 of the Denver Nuggets drives to the basket against the Golden State Warriors during Round 1 Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Playoffs on APRIL 16, 2022 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
Former Denver Nuggets guard Austin Rivers and the Minnesota Timberwolves have agreed to a one-year deal, his agents Dave Spahn and Aaron Mintz told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The 29-year-old played the 2021-22 season on a one-year contract with the Nuggets. It was his first full season in Denver after the New York Knicks traded him to the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2020-21 season.
Rivers served as a solid depth piece off the bench for the Nuggets behind Will Barton. He averaged 6.0 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 41.7 percent from the floor and 34.2 percent from deep in 67 games.
That said, the Duke product lost playing time after rookie Bones Hyland broke out during the second half of the season, averaging 13.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists in his final 18 regular-season games.
Since being drafted 10th overall in 2012 by the New Orleans Pelicans, Rivers has bounced around the NBA, playing for the Los Angeles Clippers, Washington Wizards and Houston Rockets in addition to the Nuggets and Knicks.
The veteran has had his struggles, but he's proved to be a nice depth piece—especially on defense—for teams looking to contend for a title. Now, he'll have the opportunity to do that with the new-look Timberwolves, who made one of the biggest splashes of the offseason by trading for center Rudy Gobert.
DeAndre Jordan, Nuggets Reportedly Agree to 1-Year Contract in 2022 NBA Free Agency
Jun 30, 2022
PHILADELPHIA, PA, USA - MAY 8: Philadelphia 76ers player DeAndre Jordan warms up ahead of the NBA match between Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States on May 8, 2022. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Veteran center DeAndre Jordan is reportedly heading back out West.
Jordan has agreed to a one-year, veteran's minimum contract with the Denver Nuggets at the start of free agency Thursday, according to Mike Singer of the Denver Post.
Jordan signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in March after he was released by the Los Angeles Lakers. He had started 19 games for Los Angeles before falling out of the rotation. After being reunited with former Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers in Philadelphia, Jordan appeared in 16 games for the Sixers and averaged 4.6 points and 5.8 rebounds in 13.4 minutes.
By adding Jordan, the Nuggets are gaining a much-needed backup center behind two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. Denver had mostly employed JaMychal Green in that role, but he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder earlier this offseason. The Nuggets had also added DeMarcus Cousins late last season, and he averaged 8.9 points and 5.5 rebounds in 31 games with the team.
Jordan will be a strong low-post presence and pick-and-roll finisher for Denver, but he will make more of an impact on the defensive end. The Nuggets ranked 21st in the NBA last season after allowing opponents to shoot an average of 47 percent from the field. Jordan's rim protection will make a significant difference as he has a career average of 1.5 blocks per game.
The Nuggets are hoping to return to the top of the Western Conference next season. Denver will benefit from the returns of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. as both of them are recovering from season-ending injuries.
