Danilo Gallinari - Philippine vs Italy Live Stream (Photo : FIBA Tuneup)
The Denver Nuggets are considered as team in transition. NBA trade rumors swirl around them, but the best target on their roster is not as predictable.
Kenneth Faried became a hot commodity after his Team USA gold medal run in the FIBA World Cup. When the Denver Nuggets had problems early in the season, trade rumors emerged with Faried being the most desired asset.
However, there might be changes in the offing as Danilo Gallinari is emerging as the team's best trade chip. Before the draft, there were reports of legitimate interest from the Memphis Grizzlies and Boston Celtics according to CBS.
Gallo will be at the forefront of the Denver Nuggets next season, as argued by SB Nation. Whether it's for actual team building or trade posturing, the Nuggets will place the Italian on the spotlight.
"With Lawson gone, there aren't a lot of proven scorers in the Nuggets' roster. It's very likely new coach Michael Malone will rely on Gallinari to be the first option on offense while Mudiay gets used to the faster speed of the game and Jusuf Nurkic returns from injury. His job, along with Wilson Chandler's and Kenneth Faried's, will be to make the transition easy for the rookies and young players by easing the pressure to be productive right away."
Gallinari, Faried and Chandler will be tasked with leading the team but the problem is that all three of them are forwards and this may result in a possible trade. All three of them, even Chandler have been trade rumor fodder because other teams' have legitimate interest.
The Nuggets can build on that interest, whether from the Celtics, Grizzlies or other teams. Gallinari signed an extension which makes him ineligible for trade until the deadline. It also means that his salary is still under the lower, pre-2016 cap which further increases his value.
Who would take Gallinari? The Italian has the size, shooting and passable defense which makes him a "hot commodity." Denver will develop him into an asset, but they may hold on to him since he is a keeper
