Emmanuel Mudiay of the Denver Nuggets (Photo : Photo: Twitter)
Based on NBA trade rumors, the Denver Nuggets should be a candidate for most active team at the deadline.
The Nuggets have all the tools to make a splash, probably just next to the Boston Celtics. They don't have the sexy draft picks but a mix of veteran players and young talent are all movable.
They have their untouchable player in Nikola Jokic who has emerged as a real star in the league. Aside from him, Denver is willing to mix it up. Hoops Hype listed the team's pieces.
"The Nuggets have a ton of young players in Jokic, Emmanuel Mudiay, Jamal Murray, Jusuf Nurkic, Juan Hernangomez, Malik Beasley and Gary Harris. They have all of their first-round picks going forward as well as the Memphis Grizzlies' 2017 first-rounder (Top 5 protected). And if a trade partner is interested in acquiring more experienced players, Denver also has veterans such as Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Kenneth Faried, Will Barton, Darrell Arthur, Jameer Nelson and Mike Miller."
From that group, Beasley and Harris along with the veterans are most likely to be traded. Mudiay has also been included if the Nuggets can find a veteran point guard.
It may be too early to give up on Mudiay, one of the prospects with a very high upside when he was drafted a year ago. However, GM Tim Connelly is not looking to panic trade him, but he understands that Mudiay could be a piece for a trade for someone like Eric Bledsoe.
Zach Lowe of ESPN had mentioned the Nuggets in discussing a possible trade for the Suns' lead point guard.
"All of this would seem to make Bledsoe an intriguing trade candidate as the deadline approaches in three weeks. (Nobody wants Brandon Knight, by the way.) It's just hard to find a good fit," Lowe wrote.
But Lowe also understands the point of view from Denver. "The Nuggets are quietly exploring what they might get for Emmanuel Mudiay and multiple picks, sources say, but they're in no rush to move Mudiay, and the Suns may not want him when they could simply draft a point guard."
There are other scenarios where the Nuggets consolidate all these assets for a superstar or at least have a tighter rotation. This is the move that the Nuggets are likely to make.
