It’s time for the Nuggets to start thinking and dreaming bigger

Now that the Nuggets are officially into their offseason, the page has been turned and people are talking about how they can improve. The narrative has switched from debating how far this year’s team could advance into the playoffs to trying to figure out what needs to be added for next season to end differently.

As part of this process, the usual suspects have emerged as players the franchise should target in free agency. And they typically fall into one of two categories.

First, if Denver decides not to pick up the team option on Paul Millsap, which would keep the power forward in a Nuggets uniform for a third season at roughly $30 million, there’s a group of younger replacements that gets some people excited. This includes the likes of Philadelphia’s Tobias Harris and Julius Randle in New Orleans, both of whom are quality players.

Second, there’s the “dream” scenarios; these are the options that people throw out when they let their imagination wonder, when they think big about who could possibly come to the Mile High City. This includes the likes of Golden State’s Klay Thompson and Philadelphia’s Jimmy Butler, two All-Stars who are currently playing supporting roles on star-studded teams.

Either of these paths would be fine, as both make Denver a better team in 2019-20 than they were this past season. And neither would be a bad route for Tim Connelly to take.

But here’s the thing: It’s time for the Nuggets to dream bigger. None of those players are going to push Denver into the realm of the league’s elite.

Thinking his is tough, however, given the team’s history. Since its inception in 1967, the franchise has never won a champion, advanced to a single NBA Finals, boasted perennial All-Stars on the roster or been a marquee destination for potential free agents. By and large, it’s been a fly-over outpost that opposing teams visit at the beginning or end of long western road trips.

It’s time for that to change, however. That fate isn’t written in stone.

Right now, Denver has the most-exciting roster it’s had in years. With Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Gary Harris, they have a young core that will be competitive in the Western Conference for the next decade. Plus, they play an unselfish brand of basketball that should be attractive to others. Who wouldn’t want to play alongside this trio?

Plus, the league itself is changing. No longer does a player have to reside in a major media market to become a superstar. Russell Westbrook has played his entire career in Oklahoma City, but has still managed to win a Most Valuable Player award and become a fashion icon along the way. And Giannis Antetokounmpo is developing into the NBA’s next great player right before everyone eyes, while carrying Milwaukee to places they haven’t been in decades.

That needs to be the mindset Connelly takes into the offseason. He should be talking to potential free agents as though he’s interviewing them to see if they want to become the final piece to a championship puzzle. The players should be clamoring to come to Denver, not the other way around.

And when making those pitches, there’s one name that should be at the top of the list: Kevin Durant.

Sure, that sounds crazy. But that’s only because the Nuggets have been conditioned to believe they have no chance of signing the No. 1 player available. There’s a preconceived notion that Denver won’t even be in the running.

Last offseason, most people laughed at the idea that LeBron James would consider signing with the Nuggets. It wasn’t only because going to the Lakers was a done deal from the outset, it was also due to the fact that those kinds of stars don’t consider Denver as a realistic option.

Well, how would it have turned out for James had he taken the road less travelled? Right now, he’s part of a mess in Los Angeles that doesn’t look like it’s going to get better any time soon. Had he become a Nugget, he’d be battling the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals right now.

So when free agency commences on July 1, Durant’s name will be linked to the typical destinations. There will be rumors that he’s going to join James in L.A., become a part of the latest rebuild with the Knicks or move to some other “glamour” NBA city. But if he’s smart, he’d come to Denver.

Durant has tarnished his reputation by signing with the Warriors. Yes, he’s won championships in Golden State, even capturing Finals MVP honors along the way, but those titles come with an asterisk. By and large, the star player is looked upon as someone who couldn’t win a title in Oklahoma City, so he joined an already championship-caliber team and took the easy road to hoisting the O’Brien Trophy.

Plus, there’s the little matter of the Warriors seemingly being better without him. Not only did they win championships before his arrival, but they’ve continued to win when he’s been out of the lineup since joining the NBA’s version of The Beatles. In just the past two weeks, Golden State closed out the Rockets in Houston with Durant sidelined due to injury and they’ve taken a 3-0 lead on the Trail Blazers without their star.

All told, the Warriors are 33-4 when Steph Curry plays and Durant doesn’t. That stat has many people questioning whether or not Golden State needs the MVP-caliber player, which is another testament to the team’s embarrassment of riches.

So it would be best for Durant to go elsewhere. He can rebuild his legacy by going to another team and winning a championship without Curry, Thompson, Draymond Green and others. And if he could dethrone the Warriors along the way, that would be icing on the cake.

Where does he have a realistic chance of accomplishing that goal? The Lakers have James, but little else, and are a mess of an organization at the moment. The Knicks have been a dumpster fire for two decades. The Rockets are a destination that feels too similar to the Warriors, as their already considered a title contender even without Durant.

Denver would be the perfect place. The foundation is already here, with a core group that is just hitting it’s prime. There’s a hole in the roster at the small forward position. And the team needs one more piece to become a legit championship contender.

With Durant on the roster, the Nuggets and Warriors would be on a collision course in the 2020 NBA Playoffs. It would be must-see TV, with the former MVP trying to prove his value, while Golden State tried to reinforce the notion that they didn’t need the superstar. Ratings would be through the roof.

It’s time to dream big in Denver. Come free agency, the Nuggets need to chase the biggest prize on the market. It’s time to push all the chips into the middle of the table.

Go sign Kevin Durant.

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