The Denver Nuggets have emerged as the best team in the Western Conference so far. They are actually looking like legitimate title contenders right now. The returns of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. are big reasons for that. Of course, there's also a guy named Nikola Jokic doing a ton of damage. Given their current success, should the Nuggets even be active during the trade deadline? Here we will look at the nightmare scenario that the Nuggets don't want to happen as we close in on the 2023 NBA trade deadline.

The Nuggets are in contention for an NBA championship. They have the best record in the West and the second-best in the entire league. That's how good they have been this season. Again, that's mostly due to the return of Murray and Porter Jr along with another MVP-worthy performance from Jokic. Aaron Gordon is also having a career-high year, while new additions Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown have been productive on both ends of the court.

To further improve their bench, the team is reportedly seeking a backup center or wing player. However, the team lacks assets to trade for such a player. Any addition would come at a premium cost. The Nuggets also face difficulty in acquiring a center or wing as they cannot trade their first-round pick. They actually only have two second-round picks available for trade.

Another big challenge in potential deals is the team's limited matching salaries. After their top six players, their highest salary belongs to Ish Smith at $4.7 million. That would only allow for an incoming salary of $6 million to Denver. They have a $9.1 million trade exception they could use to acquire a rotation player. However, this would significantly increase their luxury tax payment. To offset these costs, they could consider trading a player like Smith without taking back any salary.

Given these limitations and the projected $17.6 million tax payment, the Nuggets may choose to just quietly let the deadline pass by. That would not be bad at all. Another option could be to strengthen their roster through the buyout market. They could find their prized backup center or wingman there.

Now let's look at the Nuggets' nightmare scenario for the 2023 NBA trade deadline.

Nuggets get tempted to trade any of their core guys

A cliche is a cliche because it's true. In this context, the cliche is — if it's not broken in Denver, don't fix it.

On the other hand, critics may question the Nuggets' defensive capabilities in the playoffs. This is a valid concern. The Nuggets are currently a middling team in terms of points allowed per 48 minutes (112.1 — 14th best). While they do have one of the league's best offenses (116.3 points per 48 minutes — 6th best), there is also still a bit of room for improvement.

This is not to diminish the Nuggets' chances of winning a title. They have a strong case, and they could even be considered favorites given their current level of play. The team is now at full strength and the additions of Brown and KCP have really raised the ceiling for their most important lineups. Furthermore, head coach Michael Malone now has the flexibility to deploy defensive units tailored to specific matchups.

That said, it is still reasonable for the Nuggets to search for additional bench depth. It is not essential, but it is still within reason. Remember that the minutes without Jokic will be minimal during important games. And even if the MVP sits, the team has been reasonably successful.

The Nuggets should focus on small improvements rather than major changes. As we said, they can explore the buyout market for another big man if necessary. However, we still believe it's best for the team to continue with its current roster and evaluate its options in the summer.

The nightmare scenario comes in if the Nuggets join what might be a tense trade deadline bandwagon. If they choose to be more active than they should be, the wrong trade can mess with the team's current balance and rhythm. That can quickly lead to the squad spiraling down the standings, which is certainly what fans do not want to see.