Ahead of their title defense, the reigning NBA champions Denver Nuggets stood pat at the 2024 NBA trade deadline. The Nuggets now shift their focus toward the buyout market as they look to deepen their rotation ahead of the postseason.
Denver is still the favorite to come out of the West with the best player in the world Nikola Jokic leading a championship-caliber cast of Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The Nuggets have perhaps the most cohesive starting five in the NBA, with every single member thriving in their respective roles. However, Denver still has some depth issues to solve after losing Bruce Brown and Jeff Green in the offseason.
The Nuggets could have solved those issues at the trade deadline, but given that they are heavily-capped, their options were limited. Denver now has no choice but to address its depth concerns in the buyout market, where their options are also rather restricted. Since the Nuggets are also above the tax apron, they are not able to sign any players who had a salary that was above the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception of $12.4 million, per ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks. With that, players like Kyle Lowry are off the table.
Nonetheless, there are still some options out there for Denver to consider. Here are three buyout candidates the defending champion Nuggets must pursue following the 2024 NBA trade deadline.
Danilo Gallinari
Danilo Gallinari became a free agent after the Detroit Pistons released the veteran forward after the trade deadline. Perhaps the Denver Nuggets could look to reunite with Gallinari, who played in Denver from 2011 to 2017, and bring him in from the buyout market. At this stage of his career, Gallinari has lost a bit of a step and is no longer the versatile forward he once was. Still, the 6-foot-10 forward can still put up some points on the board when needed.
Gallinari has spent most of the season with the Washington Wizards, where he appeared in 26 games and logged nearly 15 minutes a night. He averaged 7.0 points and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 43.5 percent from the field.
The Nuggets have a need for more big man depth, and Gallinari could serve as a backup four or five in Denver. He could provide them with more size off the bench and serve as a floor spacing big, who can also pass and make plays from the post.
Otto Porter Jr.
Otto Porter Jr. could emerge as another buyout target for the Denver Nuggets. The Toronto Raptors traded Porter to the Utah Jazz in the deal that landed them Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji. There is still no indication on Utah's part that they will let go of the veteran wing, but if they do, the Nuggets should strongly consider bringing him in.
Porter has struggled with injuries as of late and has appeared in just 23 games combined over the last couple of seasons with the Raptors. When heathy, however, the 30-year-old has shown that he can play a sizable role on a championship team. Porter became a huge part of the Golden State Warriors' run to the 2022 NBA championship. The Warriors were fortunate enough to have him healthy throughout the regular season and the playoffs and he contributed in a major way and even started in three games in the NBA Finals.
Porter has since returned from a knee injury in late December and is available to play. So the 6-foot-8 wing should be ready to contribute in case the Nuggets land him in the buyout market. Essentially, the Nuggets could use him in the role that Jeff Green played as a floor spacing veteran who can knock down shots from the outside.
Danuel House Jr.
Danuel House Jr. could be a veteran wing the Nuggets can also target in the buyout market. The Philadelphia 76ers traded House to the Detroit Pistons just prior to the trade deadline. Detroit eventually let him go just a couple of hours later and he is expected to garner some interest in the buyout market.
The Nuggets need some wing depth after losing Bruce Brown in the offseason. While House won't replicate the intangibles that the NBA champion brought, he could still serve as a solid 3-and-D option for the defending champs.
The 30-year-old forward carved out a pretty consistent role with the 76ers prior before they dealt him to the Pistons. In 2024, he logged in nearly 20 minutes per game in 14 appearances, including four starts, with averages of 5.4 points and 2.4 rebounds on 47.2 percent shooting.
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