As we approach the 2024 NBA trade deadline, the heat is on for teams across the league, and no team feels this pressure more than the defending champion Denver Nuggets. Let's take a look at some of the biggest needs the Nuggets need to address at the 2024 NBA trade deadline.

Bring Bruce Brown back to Denver?

Bruce Brown, Denver Nuggets, NBA Finals

The Nuggets could potentially target a number of players at the 2024 NBA trade deadline. One such player could be a versatile forward who can provide additional scoring and rebounding.

Bruce Brown is only one year removed from winning an NBA championship with the Nuggets. During the offseason, fans had high hopes that Brown would sign a new contract and stay in Denver. Unfortunately, the Indiana Pacers came swooping in with a better contract offer, and Brown of course chose to sign with them.

Brown has had a solid season with the Pacers so far, averaging 12.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists. He's also shooting 47.5% from the field.

On January 17th, the Pacers sent Brown, Jordan Nwora, Kira Lewis Jr, and multiple 1st-round draft picks to the Toronto Raptors for Pascal Siakam. This blockbuster trade was a bit of a shock, considering Brown was only in his first season with the Pacers.

There are still rumblings that Brown could still be on the move, and the Raptors aren't his final destination. If this is true, hopefully, the Nuggets will inquire about potentially bringing Brown back.

Acquiring Brown might be a bit of a long shot for the Nuggets though, considering Brown's contract. He signed a 2-year, $45 million contract with the Pacers during the offseason. Currently, the Nuggets have the sixth-highest team payroll for the 2023-24 season at $181,922,992.

For the Nuggets, there has yet to be a player that has really stepped up and shown out outside of their core five and sixth man, Reggie Jackson. In terms of the Nuggets Forwards, Zeke Nnaji has had his minutes shrunk down to virtually nothing. And Justin Holiday hasn't jumped off the page either.

The Nuggets could really benefit from Brown returning. This season they're definitely missing his hustle, offensive rebounds, and fastbreak layups. The Nuggets could also benefit from his playmaking. While Nikola Jokic is a wizard when it comes to playmaking, the team often struggles to create steady offense when he is off the floor. A secondary playmaker who can create shots for others would help to alleviate this issue.

Step up defensively

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Another area the Nuggets should look to improve in is their perimeter defense. The team has sometimes struggled to contain opposing guards and wings, often allowing high shooting percentages from beyond the arc.

This weakness has put additional pressure on the Nuggets' interior defense and has led to a bit too many high-scoring games. An average defense has also put pressure on the Nuggets' offense. And there have been those games this season for the Nuggets where the offense isn't clicking and they can't get their shots to land.

But the question remains, who could the Nuggets acquire at the trade deadline to help defensively?

Alex Caruso's name has been floated endlessly in trades for many teams this season. Caruso is great defensively and could definitely help the Nuggets, but the price point could become an issue again in this proposed trade.

The Nuggets do not have enough trade capital to land some big names, so they may have to make up for it by including players in trade packages. But the next big question is who will the Nuggets part ways with, considering the majority of their current roster returned after winning the 2023 NBA Championship.