So, the remaining pieces for Connelly include the deep bench: Anthony Randolph, Jan Vesely, and Darrell Arthur (if Hickson stays on the roster), and the “trade sweeteners”: the $9.8 million dollar exception and the 11 th pick in the deep NBA draft scheduled for June 26. Ty Lawson and Faried are off the table right now (or at least they SHOULD be), Fournier and Miller are on rookie contracts, and Gallinari, JaVale McGee, and Nate Robinson are coming off season-ending injuries. ![]() ![]() The deep bench and non-player trade piecesĪfter Hickson and Chandler, it gets a little harder to identify players that could bring back a meaningful piece for the Nuggets. ![]() He averaged 13.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 35 percent from three-point range last year, and he’s a great fill-in at small forward for teams that need one. However, with Danilo Gallinari coming back and Quincy Miller and Evan Fournier showing they can provide productive minutes, the Nuggets just don’t need him anymore. Chandler is a consistent dual offensive/defensive threat, and he takes care of business by staying out of the headlines off the court. Let me start by saying I am a Wilson Chandler fan. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports He doesn’t have the highest salary at the mid-level exception, and only has two years remaining on his contract which makes him more attractive to other teams.Philadelphia, PA, USA Denver Nuggets forward JJ Hickson (7) celebrates during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. Hickson, although hurt right now, also averages 11.8 points and 9.2 rebounds a game (a near double-double), and that productivity should attract some suitors. Kenneth Faried established himself as the starting power forward during the second half of last season, and a defensive-minded Darrell Arthur coming off the bench is a nice complement to Faried. Hickson is the obvious and easy choice if the Nuggets want to make a move. “If you really study our team, we have a lot of flexibility.”īut just who is Connelly putting on the block during those conversations? Who should Connelly be trying to get rid of when looking at a roster full of so many proven players? I can’t quite listen in on calls to other front offices, but I can say these players should be the ones with their suitcase close by. “I’ve already let all the other guys in different front offices around the league know that we’re open for business,” Connelly told the Denver Post. From what he is saying to media, it’s pretty clear Tim Connelly agrees with my conclusion: He could get rid of any player, at any position, and the Nuggets wouldn’t sacrifice the depth that kept them competitive during last season’s injury woes. Throw in a $9.8 million trade exception (meaning the Nuggets can take on $9.8 million more in salary than they send away in a trade) and this roster is just ASKING for some pieces to be moved. It will be tough for general manager Tim Connelly to not make a move with that depth, and with seven forwards that can play non-forward positions, Connelly’s wheels should be spinning. If no moves are made this offseason, that depth will remain a crucial part of the Denver Nuggets for the 2014-2015 season. It was built with three point guards, two shooting guards, three small forwards, four power forwards, and two centers, so the Nuggets had depth at every position. At the end of the 2013-2014 season the Denver Nuggets’ roster was full of flexibility.
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