A critical offseason is on the horizon for the Denver Nuggets. After falling in the first round of the playoffs to the now-NBA champion Golden State Warriors, the Nuggets kicked off an eventful summer ahead of Jamal Murray's return from injury next season. Denver has taken a few steps towards competing in a fierce Western Conference next season, and its next step may be around the corner.
According to Mike Singer of the Denver Post, the Nuggets are receiving interest from teams around the league about trading for Monte Morris. Morris had a career year starting in place of Murray. He averaged 12.6 points and 4.4 assists on efficient shooting splits.
With Murray's return nearing closer and development of young wing Bones Hyland, the Nuggets have an opportunity to flip Morris' valuable $18.9 Million contract into assets that better fit Denver's updated scheme.
Denver has been busy making moves this offseason, and plenty of Nuggets players have been connected to trade rumors. The team already moved JaMychal Green in exchange for the 30th pick in the 2022 NBA draft and its choice of a mid-level exemption. Newly-appointed team president Calvin Booth has made an emphasis on building a championship roster around league MVP Nikola Jokic.
“When we talk about Nikola, the MVP of the league, I’m the steward … of his peak years,” Booth said at his introductory conference. “You want to optimize those and take advantage of those.
The next step for Denver's offseason isn't 100% clear, but the Nuggets' roster development increasingly takes shape as their offseason moves along.