The Denver Nuggets have managed to emerge from the crowd as the top team in the Western Conference recently. After a bit of a slow start to the season, with key pieces such as Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. working their way back into the swing of things, the Nuggers have taken off recently, and their 34-14 record is the best in the West currently.

For the Nuggets, the first half of the 2022-23 season has been exactly what they have hoped for. Nikola Jokic is making a very strong case to win his third straight MVP award, and the players around him, such as Murray, Porter, and Aaron Gordon, are all contributing. Denver has built a very deep team, and it's no surprise to see them emerging as a strong Finals contender.

With the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline rolling around, the Nuggets don't necessarily have to frantically try to pull off deals to improve their team, because again, they are already in a pretty good spot. But they do have a couple of needs that could be addressed, so let's take a look at the Nuggets dream trade deadline scenario and see what would have to happen in order for it to come to fruition.

Nuggets dream scenario for the trade deadline

Right now, the Nuggets biggest weakness appears to be at their center rotation, and more specifically, their interior defense. As previously mentioned, Jokic is an absolute mad-man, and can do everything at a high-level. But he can't play 48 minutes every night, and when he's not on the floor, Denver doesn't have anyone they can really rely on behind him.

Jokic's current backup at center is DeAndre Jordan, who is not the player he once was. Jordan still has a bit of value as a paint player on both ends of the floor (4.8 PPG, 5 RPG, 0.9 APG, 76.7 FG%), but it's becoming clear that he can't be relied upon if the Nuggets want to win a title. That leads up to them making a pair or low-key moves at the trade deadline to shore up this weakness.

The first move involves making a deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid, who Denver has recently been linked to. Reid is an OK offensive player, and his stats are nothing special (10.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 0.9 APG, 1 BPG, 53.7 FG%) but he's a clear upgrade over Jordan. It's also worth noting Reid is doing this despite playing just over three minutes more per game than Jordan.

Reid is a solid if unspectacular center, but that's really all the Nuggets need from him. Jordan has been a liability, and if Denver wants to achieve their ultimate goal this season, they are going to need a more competent player than the aging Jordan. That's exactly what Reid offers here, and the Nuggets likely wouldn't have to give up a ton to get him.

The second move would be a reunion of sorts that sees the Nuggets pick up Jarred Vanderbilt from the Utah Jazz. Vanderbilt was part of the Rudy Gobert trade from this past offseason, and has taken a big step forward during his time with the Jazz. With Utah becoming sellers at the deadline, it would make sense for them to try to move Vanderbilt while they can.

Vanderbilt is primarily a power forward, but he can play as an undersized center at times as well. The Nuggets could use another wing defender who has the versatility to play at a couple of different spots, and that's what Vanderbilt offers here. Reid might be a more pressing addition, but Vanderbilt could be just what the Nuggets need to fill in their rotation.

Vanderbilt's numbers this season aren't otherworldly (8.5 PPG, 8 RPG, 2.8 APG, 55.3 FG%) but it's easy to see why he's such an interesting trade target for Denver. He clearly has a lot of skills that have helped him become a key piece of Utah's rotation, and Denver could bring him back to town after shipping him to Minnesota in the 2019-20 season.

These two moves would fill the Nuggets two biggest areas of need, which would make it a dream scenario for Denver. Their interior defense would get a massive boost, and they would immediately have a couple more deployable bigs who can chip in on offense as well. They aren't huge moves, but when you find yourself where Denver is, you don't need to make many flashy moves.

It wouldn't even matter what the Nuggets competitors do, because these moves would instantly make them one of the deepest teams in the entire league. It's clear Denver has championship aspirations right now, and if they want to take a step towards reaching those aspirations, swinging these two deals would certainly get the job done.