The Denver Nuggets are still standing strong. This team has been very unlucky with injuries, as both Michael Porter Jr and Jamal Murray will likely miss the entirety of the season. Porter Jr played just nine games this year, while Murray suffered a torn ACL last April. Two out of the three best Nuggets players are out but the squad from Colorado is only two games out of the fourth spot in the Western Conference, which would get them a home-court advantage in the first round.
However, while their success despite adversity has been great, the work is still not close to being done. The Nuggets could fall in form just as easily as they have gone up, so they need to remain active in the field. Thus, here is the biggest need the Nuggets must address at the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline – a defensive, rebounding big.
On the surface, the Nuggets roster is still looking strong. This is mostly due to the incredible form of the 2021 NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. The Serbian center does absolutely everything on the court, and then some more. He is averaging 26.2 points, 13.8 rebounds, 7.7 assists, shoots a crisp 57.1% from the field, and 37.5% from behind the arc. He is supplemented by the wing duo of Aaron Gordon and Will Barton, both hovering around 15 points per game. Monte Morris and Facundo Campazzo, together with Bryn Forbes and Austin Rivers, are holding down the guard spots.
However, even after adding DeMarcus Cousins to their team, the Nuggets still have big man issues. Right now, outside of the 13.8 rebounds that the Joker catches each game, the next best rebounder is Aaron Gordon, not counting Porter Jr who is out for the season, and Cousins who only played four games. They are 28th in offensive boards, 17th in defensive rebounding, and 26th in total rebounds this season. They allow their opponents the 7th, 9th, and 7th position in the league in the three respective parameters. Clearly, the Nuggets need help there.
In this instance, the Colorado-based franchise can go in two different directions. The Nuggets might go for a veteran, someone with championship experience that will not provide much more than to fill the gaping holes of their roster. There is such a player, and he is Tristan Thompson. After his supremely successful stint in Cleveland, Thompson has been in two different teams for the past two years. His Boston Celtics experiment resulted in a trade to the Kings, where Thompson is having a very bad season. The lowlight of this season has definitely been his comments on the Kings coaching, showing that is definitely unhappy to be there.
The Nuggets could give TT a lifeline and it would practically be a move without long-term consequences. The man who averages 3.4 offensive rebounds per game in his career might be the right man for the job. He also has a reputation of missing games very rarely and with the Nuggets' injury situation, reliability goes a very long way. He is not quite on the level he was when he won a championship with the Cavaliers in 2015-16, but his last two teams were not really on the championship level. In a good organization that can possibly contend, Thompson could be great.
Additionally, the Nuggets would incur no major cost for this trade. Thompson is making around $9 million this year and it is the last year of his deal, so if the signing does not work, the Nuggets would be able to release him without any long-term ramifications. Additionally, due to his level of play for the Kings and the fact that he is not exactly spring chicken, Thompson would also most likely cost the Nuggets a second-round pick, which is not too bad.
If they want to go young and risky, the other option for the Nuggets would be someone like Mo Bamba. Bamba has not turned out to be the defensive superstar that the Orlando Magic expected when they took him at number six in the 2018 NBA Draft. He has done well, but never consistent enough to really fulfill his potential. Thus, there are talks every year about Bamba potentially being dealt by the Magic, especially now that he is on an expiring deal. The Nuggets could get similar input from Bamba as they would expect out of Thompson, but it is a risky move.
The risk is not financial, rather it is about how much the Nuggets would need to give up. As said, the Kings cannot ask more than a second-round selection and a salary filler for their center, but Bamba might get a bit more attention around the league. He is still only 23, soon to be 24, and is in the midst of the best season in his career. The Magic have leverage, as he will enter restricted free agency in the summer.
However, there are serious doubts over the Magic actually including Bamba in their long-term planning. The Nuggets should pounce on this opportunity and get their hands on the young center. It will take them a few resources and might lose him in the summer for nothing, but Bamba would certainly provide Jokic the help he needs in the frontcourt. He is averaging 2.2 offensive rebounds per game and 2.1 blocks per game this season, both of which would do wonders for the Nuggets.
Whichever one they choose, the Nuggets need to remain active. If they decide to stand put, their roster will bring them to the playoffs, but the end of their season might be right away, in the first round of the postseason. With Thompson, Bamba, or anyone else that they believe can help them, the Nuggets are in a much better position.
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