The Nuggets make another trade just prior to the deadline
Feb 6, 2020, 2:11 PM
On Tuesday night, the Nuggets were wheeling and dealing. They were a part of a four-team, 12-player trade that resulted in the following for Denver:
LEAVING
Malik Beasley
Juancho Hernangomez
Jarred Vanderbilt
ARRIVING
Keita Bates-Diop
Gerald Green
Shabazz Napier
Noah Vonleh
2020 first-round pick (HOU)
At the time, there was a lot of speculation that the Nuggets were just getting started. They were going to parlay the assets acquired into another deal, one that would make a “splash” and make them even more of a contender heading down the stretch and into the playoffs. Before the NBA trade deadline (Thursday at 1:00 p.m. MT) they’d make a second move that would help the first deal make sense.
Well, the deadline has come and gone, and Denver did make another move. They sent Napier to Washington in exchange for guard Jordan McRae.
McRae is having a nice season, averaging 12.8 points in 22.6 minutes per game for the Wizards, but he’s not exactly a piece that will push the Nuggets over the top. He’s not the player who will propel Denver ahead of the Lakers, Clippers and other Western Conference contenders.
In fact, most suggest that he won’t even be a part of the rotation once the Nuggets are back at full strength. None of the new pieces will be at that point. And most won’t be here beyond the season.
Green is expected to be released soon, as he’s most likely out for the season with an injury. Vonleh and McRae are in the final year of their contracts, while Bates-Diop’s money for next season isn’t fully guaranteed.
Of course, Beasley and Hernangomez were also in the last year of their respective deals. Both were expected to depart after the season.
So a few months from now, there’s a good chance the Nuggets will only have the first-round pick to show for their pre-deadline moves. While an asset, it’s hard to determine what the value of a pick in the mid- to late-20s, which is where it’ll most likely be given that the Rockets are having a good season.
Was a first-round pick worth potentially disrupting team chemistry? After all, Beasley was popular in the locker room and Hernangomez was tight with Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets best player.
That’s a gamble Denver was willing to take. It seems like a high-risk, low-reward move, however.
