Should The Denver Nuggets Significantly Shake Up Their Core?

The Nuggets are getting antsy, as it relates to their hopes of securing another championship during three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic’s prime years.

After a magical run to a title in 2023, Denver is trying to decide whether or not it’s worth it to keep their core intact. Jokic isn’t going anywhere, neither is Jamal Murray or Aaron Gordon who recently inked hefty contract extensions.

If the Nuggets want to move a player on the roster to potentially obtain a game-changer who can be the much-needed accelerant for another Finals push, Michael Porter Jr. is the obvious choice.

And so far, Denver has shown a willingness to discuss Porter in win-now transactions, a league source told Forbes Sports.

One of the transactions being bandied about currently in league circles is whether Denver will pull the trigger on acquiring score-first All-Star guard Zach LaVine from the Chicago Bulls.

According to Sam Amick and Tony Jones of The Athletic, Denver has been putting out feelers on the trade market to acquire a jolt of scoring punch. Not only has LaVine been discussed in a serious manner, but all of the following veterans have been connected to the Nuggets recently: Cam Johnson, Jordan Poole, Jordan Clarkson, and Jonas Valanciunas.

As you can see, Denver is looking across the board at upgrades — and a lot of those roster flaws point back to a disastrous offseason period. The Nuggets certainly look like they swung-and-missed on Dario Saric as a backup center signing in free agency. Also, most of Denver’s young prospects have failed to take a step forward, which was of the upmost importance with their team-building strategy.

Denver is in the middle of the pack in a loaded Western Conference, which shouldn’t be happening when you realize the type of historical dominance Jokic is once again putting together. The Serbian big man is on his way to a fourth MVP award averaging 30.9 points, 13.3 rebounds and 9.9 assists per game. Only Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook have put together historic statistical campaigns in line with Jokic, and his brilliance is the true DNA of Denver’s roster.

How can the 14-10 Nuggets best maximize another season from Jokic where he’s undeniably the best player in the Association? It’s likely going to involve an uncomfortable conversation around breaking up their entrenched core four of Jokic, Murray, Porter and Gordon, and the 26-year-old wing from Missouri would be the trade chip in this scenario.

For a Porter blockbuster deal for Denver, LaVine is the obvious match. And those talks continue on into the early portion of NBA trade season.

Chicago has been trying to sell off on LaVine over the past 18 months, but no team has shown significant interest prior to this sudden pursuit from the Nuggets.

The Pistons were a potential match at the 2024 trade deadline before they backed out asking for a young prospect in return. The Lakers, Warriors, Clippers, and Kings put out feelers last summer, but no franchise felt comfortable absorbing LaVine’s remaining $110+ million salary.

Why would the Nuggets feel comfortable swapping out Porter for LaVine? The on-ball creation from LaVine, and the heliocentric offense being built around Jokic, would be a beautiful synergetic match from an on-court standpoint.

Imagine Jokic running a hand-off flare action with LaVine running around him to get open. LaVine is one of the best in the Association at hand-off actions, shooting 66.7% in those situations this season but only attempting less than one per game. Compared to Murray and Porter, who are both shooting well below-average on higher volume, LaVine could be fully unlocked playing alongside Jokic in the Rocky Mountains.

Also, the Nuggets have been a complete disaster offensively whenever Jokic rests. Incredibly, the Nuggets rank No. 1 in offensive rating at 123.1 with Jokic on the court, but nosedive to the worst when he sits on the bench scoring only 96.3 points per 100 possessions. A massive gulf exists between how Denver operates with and without Jokic, so acquiring an alpha scorer who can take the burden off him appears necessary at this rate.

Another factor to note is the Nuggets have already been showing significant buyers remorse on the four-year extension for backup big man Zeke Nnaji. The former Arizona Wildcat signed a $32 million deal last year before the rookie-scale extension deadline, but he’s continued to show no real developmental jumps in Denver while now being viewed as an albatross contract.

An early framework discussed between Denver and Chicago revolves around LaVine and Porter, per a league source, which includes Nnaji as the necessary salary filler.

Keep an eye on veteran wing Torrey Craig being a potential add into the deal, if talks continue to progress. Craig, a former Nugget, would be included alongside LaVine while receiving Porter, Nnaji and another minimum salary to make the trade legal under apron restrictions.

For Denver, Chicago presents the opportunity to acquire a former All-Star scorer who is quietly putting together one of the most efficient seasons of his career. LaVine is averaging 21.7 points while carrying 50.1/42.8/80.0 shooting splits, and it’s hard to imagine that figure dipping if he’s paired next to Jokic.

A key note is how including Nnaji wouldn’t require draft capital, which has been the hold up for Denver in other talks around the league due to limited draft assets. Denver hasn’t shown an appetite to attach their only tradeable first-round pick in 2031.

Would swapping out Porter for LaVine be the necessary antidote to cure Denver’s inconsistencies? At this moment, it appears to be an idea they are open to. And from Chicago’s perspective, they would be willing to take on Porter’s salary as a better long-term fit for their youth movement headlined by Coby White, Josh Giddey, and recent lottery pick Matas Buzelis.

Keep an eye on the Nuggets throughout NBA trade season, because they appear to be one of those teams ready to make an aggressive move to potentially maximize their window with Jokic.