Denver Nuggets Off-Season Preview: Free Agency Predictions, Trade Targets, And More

If I could describe the Denver Nuggets season in one word it would be confusing. Nikola Jokic won his second MVP in a row averaging 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 7.9 assists, but the Nuggets went out in the first round to the Golden State Warriors. The Nuggets were held down by a lack of true scorers outside of Jokic. Both Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. ended up being out for almost the entire season, so the team had to rely on guys like Aaron Gordon, Will Barton, and Monte Morris to step up. The Nuggets did not have a clear number 2 option, and no one other than Jokic averaged over 15 points a game. They were also missing something that all of the teams currently in the conference finals excel at, defense. Accoring to advanced stats, the Nuggets had the 16th best defense in the league this year, meaning they were the worst defensive playoff team. This seems like a throw away year for the Nuggets, but if they play their cards right they could return next year as a top seed and a possible finals contender.

Star point guard Jamal Murray sat out the entire 2021-2022 season due to a torn ACL that he suffered at the end of the 2020-2021 season. This was a big loss as most of the Nuggets offense is based around Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic running the pick and roll. The team was forced to rely on guys like Monte Morris and Will Barton to be primary ball

handlers in the pick and roll. They were better than expected but not comparable to Murray. Michael Porter Jr. only played nine games this year and then went out because of a back injury. When he played, he did not look very good, shooting only 35% from the field and a shocking 20% from three. If a player like Damian Lillard or Donovan Mitchell becomes available, the Nuggets should strongly consider banking on Porter's potential and trading him. However, a Porter Jr. trade is not likely, the front office just signed him to a 5 year. $200+ million dollar deal, and they are expected to give him another year to prove himself.

The Nuggets are in a complicated situation salary wise. Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Aaron Gordon are all on big money contracts, and Jokic is expected to sign a supermax this offseason. Both Green's have player options of about 5 million, and they are both likely to accept. In total, the Nuggets are looking at being around -57 million dollars in cap space. The only hope at improving the team in a sufficient way is through matching money in trades. Here are three possible trades that would improve the Nuggets defense and shot making:

Nuggets trade Will Barton, Jamychal Green, and the 21st pick, to the Indiana Pacers for Malcom Brogdon and Goga Bitadze.

Brogdon is an above average perimeter defender and would instantly be a defensive leader for the team. He feels like an upgraded version of Will Barton, and could easily come in and average 15-20 points, 5 boards, and 5 assists. This trade also involves the Nuggets getting Goga Bitadze who could fill a hole at backup center. Will Barton and Jamychal Green are old players on large, expiring contracts so throwing in a first rounder to get them off the team is worth it.

Nuggets trade Zeke Nnaji and the 21st pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Luguentz Dort

Luguentz Dort is the Nuggets front offices dream player. He has All-Defense potential and improves his three point shot every year. The problem is he's only 23 years old and Thunder fans seem to love him. If the Nuggets are able to make a trade for him, the return will most likely consist of a first rounder and a young player.

Nuggets trade Aaron Gordon and Jamychal Green to the Charlotte Hornets for Miles Bridges

Miles Bridges is younger and a much better score than Aaron Gordon. He would fit in perfectly as Jokic's favorite lob threat. He also has potential on defense, although he has not shown that he is above average yet. This trade would have to be a sign and trade as Miles Bridges is a free agent this offseason. He is looking for a similar contract to Aaron Gordon's, so the Nuggets should try and trade down in age for about the same price.

No matter what, the Nuggets will be limited in free agency. They do have a mid level exception which they can use to sign a solid veteran. My favorite targets are Victor Oladipo, Jeremy Lamb, Eric Paschall, and Amir Coffey. Boogie Cousins played well as a backup center so the Nuggets should also try and keep him. Other than that, Denver just needs to sign decent role players on minimum contracts that can play if needed.

If all goes well with trades and free agency the Denver Nuggets 2022/2023 roster could look something like this:

Point Guard: Jamal Murray, Monte Morris, Markus Howard

Shooting Guard: Malcolm Brogdon, Bones Hyland, Bryn Forbes, Davon Reed

Small Forward: Michael Porter Jr., Victor Oladipo, Jeff Green

Power Forward: Aaron Gordon, Zeke Nnaji

Center: Nikola Jokic, Demarcus Cousins, Goga Bitadze

The Nuggets need to make significant improvements so they can use MVP Nikola Jokic properly. If they make a trade for a solid wing and make good additions in free agency they could be at the top of the league next year.