The Denver Nuggets made the most out of their summer, by resigning Nikola Jokic. The reigning two-time MVP is committed to Denver for the next six years and while the price is steep, it seems worth it. However, that does not address the issue of their shortcoming in the playoffs. The Nuggets made the playoffs for the last four years but did not make one NBA Finals appearance, and only one conference final in that time. Clearly, this core is not working out. Due to the nature of their contracts, the Nuggets cannot make significant signings in the free agency market, so trades are a way to go. In that vein, let's look at two unrealistic trades the Nuggets must try to make in the 2022 NBA offseason.
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Unrealistic Nuggets Trades In 2022 NBA Offseason
Nuggets get Kevin Durant; Nets get Michael Porter Jr, Jeff Green, 2026 and 2028 first-round picks, 2024 pick swap
One MVP is great, but two are just double the fun. With this move, the Nuggets would, aside from the reigning MVP, have the former MVP as well in Kevin Durant. Durant and Jokic would be an amazing pair and it would be great to see the Nuggets with three immensely talented offensive weapons in the aforementioned duo plus Jamal Murray. Of course, it could cost them, some would say a lot, but players like Durant do not come up in trade talks almost ever. Without further ado, let's look at why the Nuggets and the Nets accept this deal.
The Nets accept this deal because of what Michael Porter Jr can become. Of course, the picks are also very nice, but the fact that Jokic was able to carry this team, almost on his own, to the playoffs, means that these picks should not be as valuable as they might appear. They can certainly accept trades where the picks would be more valuable down the line. Porter Jr, on the other hand, is a player beaming with potential. He had two underwhelming years and missed his rookie year completely, but in one full season, MPJ averaged 19 points on 54% shooting and 44.5% shooting from three-point land. That potential is definitely worth taking a look at, so the Nuggets might entice the Nets enough to make this deal.
For the Nuggets, pairing up two MVPs is just a dream come true. If Murray is able to get and stay healthy, that would mean that three incredibly talented offensive players would be on the same roster, complemented by a roster of good role players. Getting KD into this roster, especially in the place of MPJ, would instantly make the Nuggets title contenders, even in the heavily contested West. Now, injuries might be a concern, as both KD and Murray have missed significant time, but it is just worth it, even if it falls through after a few seasons. The Nuggets need to get more talent around Jokic to even dream about winning a championship, and this is the best way forward.
Nuggets get Gary Trent Jr, OG Anunoby; Raptors get Jamal Murray
Jamal Murray has been so prone to injuries, which is unfortunate for the Nuggets. Over the last two seasons, Murray just managed to play 48 games and has not played over 70 games for the last three seasons. It would make all the sense in the world to trade him while he still has some value and ensures that the package they get back makes them better in the long run. This package from the Raptors might not yield them a superstar, but two incredibly valuable pieces that could become very important in the Nuggets squad. Let's look at why both teams say yes to this deal.
The Raptors do this deal because it lands them a superstar, despite the circumstances. Murray, when healthy, is one of the most talented scorers in the league and he could be paired up with Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, and Fred van Vleet to form a very solid Raptors team. Of course, his health is a concern, but health was a concern with Kawhi Leonard as well, and that ended up great for the Raptors. Obviously, Murray is not on the level of Leonard, but it is still worth mentioning. The Nuggets would likely not seek any picks for Murray, so the Raptors would still have some leeway to make trades in the future. A bonus is also that Murray is Canadian and as the Raptors are really more of a Canada than just a Toronto team, the fans would be behind the move.
For the Nuggets, it is a step in another direction. Rather than surrounding Jokic with stars, they would be surrounding him with very solid role players, in a similar vein to what the Mavericks want to do with Doncic. When he was paired up with Kristaps Porzingis, Doncic was great but the Mavs were not. When they traded Porzingis for role players, the Mavs exploded and played much better basketball. Thus, it would be great to do the same with Jokic. Both Trent Jr and Anunoby are great role players and if they are added to a roster with MPJ, Aaron Gordon, and Bones Hyland, to name a few, it would be a very deep team. The Nuggets would be very hard to crack and could ride their depth all the way to the NBA Finals.
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