Denver Nuggets NBA Trade Rumors: Nuggets Are Not Done Dealing
The Denver Nuggets already shipped Jusuf Nurkić and a 2017 first-round draft pick to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Mason Plumlee and a 2018 second-round draft pick earlier this week, but they are not done retooling their roster.
Sources say the Nuggets are still active in the trade market with Emmanuel Mudiay, Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler linked to trade rumors.
Earlier this week, Mudiay's name resurfaced in trade rumors and ESPN's Marc Stein said the Nuggets were considering moving him before the deadline. Mudiay was supposed to be the team's point guard of the future when they selected him with the seventh overall pick in the 2015 draft, but he has continued to have a difficult time adjusting to the pro game and his shooting woes are well-documented. Are they giving up on Mudiay already? This is just his second season in the league.
Gallinari's name was also mentioned in trade rumors earlier this week after they traded Nurkić. ESPN's Stein said the Los Angeles Clippers and the Toronto Raptors were among teams monitoring the sweet shooting forward's availability in the market. It is believed that the Nuggets may trade him now because he can opt out of the final year of his contract and become a free agent in the offseason. It appears that the Nuggets will rather trade Gallinari before they lose him and get nothing in return.
Meanwhile, talk about Chandler wanting to leave came out earlier this month, and USA Today's Sam Amick said his sources told him that it had something to do with the inconsistency of Chandler's role with the team. Well, it's true that Nuggets coach Mike Malone has been tinkering with the starting lineup this season, but at least Chandler is logging in heavy minutes.
It should be noted that Kenneth Faried has been in Coach Malone's doghouse the entire season and teams may be interested in him as well.
There's no telling what will happen with the trade deadline approaching. Perhaps the Nuggets may still trade away some of their key players and slowly build the team around Nikola Jovic.