As of this writing, the Denver Nuggets have a 14-8 win-loss record. That's good enough for first place in the Northwest Division and second place in the Western Conference. They had a four-game winning streak snapped just today against the Atlanta Hawks, but they can bounce back when they travel to New Orleans on December 5. The Nuggets remain one of the league's elite and a sure title contender this season. Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr. are the bona fide leaders of this team. They are also pretty crowded in the backcourt so unloading one of their guards might make sense moving forward.
Here we will look at the one Denver Nuggets player who must be part of a deal before the 2022-23 season trade deadline.
Ish Smith of the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets backup point guard Ish Smith has already played for an NBA-record 13 clubs. We feel like he will add to that amount before the trade deadline in February 2023. One reason offloading Smith makes sense for the Nuggets is that this can potentially cut the team's luxury tax fines in half.
Keep in mind that Smith is an expendable component for the Nuggets because of the development of youngster Bones Hyland. The sophomore guard has blossomed this season, putting up 15.0 points, 3.6 assists, and 2.8 threes per contest. Smith, on the other hand, hasn't put up big numbers, but he can surely give seasoned knowledge to a depleted backcourt elsewhere.
Being traded would also be nothing new to the journeyman.
Again, Smith has bounced around the NBA more than anyone else in league history. He's a veritable basketball nomad, never settling down in one spot. Take note that for more than a decade, he has consistently found jobs in different clubs. It speaks volumes about his professionalism but also about his value. No way the 6'0 175-pound reserve guard would last this long if he didn't possess anything valuable for the teams that have taken him in.
Recall that Smith made his NBA debut in 2010 as an undrafted free agent with the Houston Rockets. He then played for a multitude of teams between 2010 and 2016. After the Rockets, he played for the Grizzlies, Warriors, Magic, Bucks, Suns, Thunder, and 76ers. He actually went back to Houston at one point, too.
And then from 2016 to 2019, he was a member of the Detroit Pistons. He signed a one-year contract with the Wizards in 2019-20, a two-year contract with the Hornets in 2020-21, then was traded back to the Wizards last season. Over the summer of 2022, he was then dealt to the Nuggets together with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
The Nuggets are close to finalizing a trade to send Monte Morris and Will Barton to the Wizards for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith, per @ShamsCharania. pic.twitter.com/gxsh1RJnyw
— Yahoo Sports NBA (@YahooSportsNBA) June 29, 2022
Indeed, Smith has succeeded as a dependable backup point guard, a job that has proven to be more difficult to fill than expected. He has averaged 7.6 points and 3.9 assists per game in his career while shooting 43.0 percent from the field.
So far this season, Smith has only appeared in eight games for the Nuggets. He has averaged 3.1 points, 2.4 assists, and 1.3 rebounds per contest. His best performance this season came against the Houston Rockets on November 29. Smith finished that game with 10 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals.
The thing with Smith is that he can put up great numbers when given the opportunity to play long minutes. Remember that in 2020, he had 32 points in one game for the Wizards. In his career, he's also had 25 games with double-digit assists.
Smith has played more minutes and put up somewhat higher statistics in recent seasons. That's a surprising trend for a shorter guard later in his career.
Smith attributes some of this to taking better care of his body as he's gotten older. After he landed in Denver, Smith took his off-season preparation more seriously now that he was playing for a possible championship contender. In his mind, possibly for the first time ever, he had a legitimate opportunity at winning a title. Too bad he will likely be on the trading block anew, though.
One intangible value that Smith, now 34, brings is locker room presence. He is a seasoned veteran who can coach younger players. He can also set a very good example as a professional. Smith can show the young guns that they must let go of their egos, accept instruction, and embrace their roles. With Smith, it's not really the numbers but more of his character that can be of great value to any team out there.
One team who needs that is the San Antonio Spurs. This is one likely landing point for Smith. Keep in mind that, despite possessing MVP big man Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets require a real rim protector. Denver may make a move for Austrian big man Jakob Poetl to assist Jokic on the inside. This implies sending Smith to the Sputs along with two other players, maybe forwards Christian Braun and Zeke Nnaji.
Again, the Nuggets should want the 27-year-old to shore up the Nuggets' porous inside defense behind Jokic. Remember that Denver is poor when it comes to limiting opponents' scoring around the basket. As such, they could utilize Poeltl as a rim protector. Jokic's three-point shooting also means the two could share the floor for extended periods of time.
Meanwhile, Smith's veteran leadership and locker-room presence would be very beneficial for the Spurs. They'd also get Braun and Nnaji, both 21 years old. Those two could contribute to San Antonio's rebuilding efforts in the coming years.
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