Post Mortem 2023/24 - Denver Nuggets (Eliminated in West Semis)

[Capn'O]

This one is stunning.

[Bobbymcgee]

Wow, their cap and draft pick situation looks pretty bad.

[Wallace_Wallace]

I think they would start listening to offers for MPJ/Murray. Jamal was instrumental in their title run, but relying on a #3 to be a #2 is not the way to go long term.

MPJ’s mental make up is not as tough as someone like Gordon or Braun, he needs to find a way to be useful when his shots aren’t falling (don’t Klay your way out of a slump). His talent is very similar to Brandon Ingram, why isn’t he dominating the 3rd best defender on the other team?

List of players I would inquire:
De’Aaron Fox (fantasy scenario)
Mikal Bridges (value shouldn’t be as high as it once was now that he’s a year older and he hasn’t made that leap)
Brandon Ingram (MPJ might be a better fit for Zion)
Donovan Mitchell is also another default name


Perhaps get Bruce Brown back, another scorer such as Malik Monk or a stabilizer like Malcolm Brogdon.

I'd be all for upgrading if possible, but like I've said many times here, it's not really possible. Maybe Murray has some value, but do you really think he's as valuable not playing with Joker? Who's going to want him on that contract and with that injury history? I mean, they'll take him but they won't give up anything of real value.

Same with MPJ but magnified. No one is going to want that contract either.

Those two guys can be traded, but absolutely not for the players you just listed. They would command first rounders that the Nuggets don't have, or cheaper players with higher upside.

Denver is stuck with what they have, at least until the contracts become shorter in length.

Denver could shuffle guys around Jokic, but I'd rather they stick with two guys in their mid 20's who know how to play with Joker.

The only real change I could see is moving KCP's contract for two bench types. I'd be okay with moving Braun to the starting lineup if it gets Denver a good backup center and point guard.

Not disagreeing with you, but I’m not as down on MPJ and Murray. As dumb as MPJ is, he’s still a 40% shooter from deep with great length, you don’t think that fits with a rim running freak like Zion? BI’s contract expires the end of next year, with the way the Pelican’s roster is constructed I don’t think he comes back to play with Zion.

Same with Murray, all and all he’s a battle tested point guard who can show up when his numbers are called. Is Donovan Mitchell that several tiers better than him to where Murray plus Peyton Watson and a pick is consider an insult? By the way, he’s a player option after this as well.

I’m just picking these two players who are almost like a one year rentals to see if they’re interested in resigning due to Denver’s championship aspirations.

[Beethoven]

oops..

[Hello Brooklyn]

Well I was wrong about Bruce Brown not being a big deal. He helped them a lot next year.

Upgrade the bench for sure. They could easily win again. Just a tossup series that didn't go their way.

[Johnny Tomala]

Keep, keep, as expected, treadmill.

[SlimShady83]

Thank you Wolves once again for making my day

[Gatorade Sax]

69 points between 2 dudes, and then the next highest having 7 is simply not going to get it done when it matters.

Crazy series. Both teams looked absolutely **** at different stages in the series. Congrats to Minny fans!

[KGtabake]

Get Caruso if the KCP era is done.
Trade MPJ and picks to Brooklyn for Bridges.
Get a big like Drummond to backup Jokic.

[Mrakar]

Run it back. They got screwed by not having another big body inside, someone like Jeff Green would have helped a lot in this series...Thats on Booth

[Gatorade Sax]

Get Caruso if the KCP era is done.
Trade MPJ and picks to Brooklyn for Bridges.
Get a big like Drummond to backup Jokic.

Reasonable suggestions. Heard Valanciunas might be available too, maybe too expensive though.

[SpreeS]

They can't get good FA, they cant trade draft picks, Murray and Porter have bad values to their contract size and young teams in the West are already here...

[Statlanta]

Jeff Green and Bruce Brown wouldn’t have changed this butt whooping but they need more solid role player hungry guys next to Christian Braun. Even if it means trading KCP, MPJ or Gordon to do it.

[durden_tyler]

As long as Jokic stays healthy— and stays motivated, which i feel is more important— the Nuggets will be title contenders for the next 3 or so years.


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[MrGoat]

Probably just run it back. Their options are limited. Need to really look carefully at the vet min market and hope to find a Derrick Jones Jr. type of steal

Need to research this list https://www.nba.com/news/2024-nba-free-agents

and keep an eye out in Europe

[shrink]

The cap was maxed out. That's what happens when you have three guys on the max. They literally had no money to spend on any bench players. Holiday was the only guy they could afford. They also have no tradable draft picks. When I say none, I mean none. They are unable to trade ANY future first rounders. That was Tim Connolly's doing. I mean...tell me what player they could have signed for the vet minimum. They were hoping to catch lightning in a bottle with rookies again and it didn't really happen.

Bullseye. And this is because it’s the way the CBA is designed.

To win a championship, a team needs to get stars, and that usually requires max deals. But once you have three max deals, and your team is mature enough to compete, luxury tax rules and other restrictions make it hard to afford to retain your best supporting talent.

Look at the Wolves path this year. They played both the Suns and Nuggets, who both had three max stars, but last summer they were struggling to find bench players to fit around them. At the same time, MIN’s biggest contracts didn’t hit until the following year, so they could afford to extend McDaniels and pay Naz Reid and Nickiel Alexander-Walker.

And for the record, MIN will be in the same boat next year. They will become extremely expensive, and by 2025 they will likely need to catch their own lightning in a bottle, and likely need to shed some of their current players. It’s just the NBA lifecycle for contenders. You win, you get older, and you get expensive.

[jokeboy86]

As long as Jokic stays healthy— and stays motivated, which i feel is more important— the Nuggets will be title contenders for the next 3 or so years.


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Only problem with this is this is the exact same thing that the Bucks management thought with Giannis and now after last year they started panicking(fire Bud, Trade for Dame, Hire Doc). And now Giannis is probably starting to break down. The key now for organizations should be not to waste your franchise player’s prime. This is why KD/Lebron take it into their own hands. Where’s the pressure going to come on the Nuggets to not waste Jokic’s prime cause its 99% not going to come from him.

[Bobbymcgee]

Jokic had an MVP season and I think both Murray and Porter are at their limit as to how good they are going to be. They are going to lose more bench players this season and will replace them with the cheapest options available. If they lose KCP they are in trouble.

They are severely over the cap and they have no draft picks. If anything, I think they get worse next season.

[Woodsanity]

This is how their players performed in the playoffs:
PER
Jokic: 30.1
Gordon: 18.3
MPJ: 13.2
Murray: 12.3
Braun: 10.1
KCP: 8.4
Holiday: 5.3
Jackson: 5.2
Watson: 3.1

Only two players performed at a respectable level on the entire team. Its a big problem when Aaron Gordon of all people is your 2nd best player by a colossal margin and keep in mind a PER of 15 is "average".

Is there any way for the Nuggets to upgrade this dumpster fire of a roster?

[Beethoven]

Russell Westbrook