For most of the 2022-23 campaign, the Denver Nuggets have, by and large, steamrolled the opposition, thanks in large part to Nikola Jokic's nightly dominance and Jamal Murray's gradual return to his pre-injury form. Through 55 games, the Nuggets own the best offense in the NBA and there's no reason to expect a drop-off given how well their pieces and scheme fit together on both ends of the court.
And with the championship race as wide open as it is, there was no telling just how far the Nuggets could go in the 2023 playoffs. The Nuggets have already sniffed around the NBA Finals since 2019, making it into the second round twice and even reaching the Conference Finals in 2020. But when they're rolling, there's just this aura of invincibility surrounding them this season that has given fans belief that this iteration of the team could go farther into the playoffs than ever before.
However, the Phoenix Suns clearly had no regard for the unprecedented parity in today's NBA after they swung one of the biggest trades in NBA history for Kevin Durant. Sure, Durant is already 34 years old, and he is still recovering from his second major knee injury in as many years. But this is Durant we're talking about. A trio of KD, Devin Booker, and Chris Paul (along with Deandre Ayton) should put the fear of god into opposing defenses.
Thus, it shouldn't come as a surprise that other Western Conference playoff contenders might take a long, hard look at adding OG Anunoby to give themselves a piece who could conceivably defend Durant well in the playoffs.
Even the Nuggets know that they need to reinforce their defense, that, while far from shaky, ranks 13th in the entire league. With that said, this is why Denver should swing a last-minute trade for the Toronto Raptors forward with hours left before the NBA trade deadline.
Why Nuggets should trade for OG Anunoby
The Nuggets have been linked to OG Anunoby since 2017; they have long coveted the 3 and D forward out of Indiana ever since he was just a raw prospect entering the league. Anunoby was the reason why the Nuggets traded out of the 13th pick, sending the selection that became Donovan Mitchell (whoops) to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Trey Lyles and the 24th overall pick of the 2017 Draft.
At first, it wasn't that big of a blunder. With the Nuggets' core starting to take shape around Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, OG Anunoby was a more than reasonable target for them at pick 24. However, the Nuggets failed to guard against the possibility that another team would swoop in first for the 6'7 forward. The Raptors essentially ruined the Nuggets' plans by taking Anunoby with the 23rd pick, leaving Denver scrambling for Plan B.
There were still other solid prospects on the board. Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart, and Derrick White, among others, stand out as solid selections the Nuggets could have made. Instead, they ended up with Tyler Lydon, a 6'10 stretch forward who failed to carve out a role in the NBA. After just 26 games played in two seasons, Lydon was out of the league.
Now, the Nuggets have a chance to rectify their five-and-a-half year old mistake.
Every fan of every contending team knows just what OG Anunoby brings to the table. He uses his length to great effect on defense, he is able to space the floor at a reasonable rate, he doesn't barf up terrible shots, and he is a terrific point-of-attack defender. And the Nuggets, just like any other contender, need someone who could take on the toughest matchups night-in, night-out. Sure, they have Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Aaron Gordon, and Bruce Brown in town, but their defense is nowhere near Anunoby's when the British forward is rolling.
The problem for the Nuggets is that they lack the necessary assets to swing a trade for the prospect that got away from them. The Raptors have remained firm in their asking price of three first-round picks for Anunoby, and the Nuggets could only really trade away one pick – their 2029 first-round selection.
The Nuggets' management (or mismanagement) of their draft picks is another story entirely. Giving away their 2025 first-rounder for Aaron Gordon was a shrewd move, but dealing their 2023 and 2027 first-round picks to acquire RJ Hampton and dump the salary of JaMychal Green, respectively, were not the best moves in hindsight.
Thus, as much as the Nuggets could try and persuade the Raptors to give them OG Anunoby, that doesn't appear likely to happen. That shouldn't prevent them from floating around a call towards the Raptors front office, however, as that is the very least they could do following the Suns' bombshell Kevin Durant trade.
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