The Denver Nuggets are projected to be among the more active teams this offseason and it’s been revealed that they already recently tried to make a major move. According to a new report by insiders at The Athletic, the 2023 champions explored the idea of trading for Paul George before discovering the price of his addition.
“The Denver Nuggets, for example, had serious interest recently in the prospect of adding George by way of a possible extend-and-trade with the Clippers (if he chose to go that route),” wrote Slater. “Yet in addition to giving George the max deal he so desires, they also would have had to give up Michael Porter Jr., Zeke Nnaji, and a significant amount of draft capital. The Nuggets value their draft picks perhaps as much as any other contender in the league, and so their interest ended there.”
The Nuggets had higher expectations after their 2023 run, but those dreams fell flat after their elimination in the second round this year. Their series against the Timberwolves was proof that they are falling behind and the sense of urgency is rising to make a move and increase their chances to win.
For a while, the Nuggets considered Paul George a potential solution, and his two-way game would have been a perfect fit alongside Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Unfortunately, the Nuggets were unwilling to sacrifice major role players and most of their draft capital — so negotiations with the Clippers never went far. Klay Thompson, who will likely come cheaper, has become their new target as he mulls his future with the Warriors.
In truth, the Nuggets only have so much money to throw around while paying Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray over $85 million combined next season. So when their interest in George turned into potentially having to trade major pieces of their roster, it’s no wonder why the Nuggets quickly shut down the idea…even if it would have created a borderline superteam.
George, a 9x All-Star, came to the Clippers back in 2019 after forcing his way out of the Thunder. Alongside Kawhi Leonard, George and the Clippers were supposed to become a borderline dynasty in the West but things never panned out the way they expected. Instead, due to injuries and various other obstacles, they’ve failed to even make it to the Finals.
Now, with George headed for free agency, there is serious talk about an exit from Los Angeles and the Nuggets were one of the many teams in play. But even at 34 years old, the price for Paul is at an all-time high, especially coming off a season with averages of 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game on 47.1% shooting. The cost was just too great for Nuggets GM Calvin Booth, especially given his history of failure with the Pacers, Thunder, and Clippers.
But whether it’s Klay Thompson, Paul George, or some other high-impact player, the Nuggets really should go all-in on a major trade. They owe it to Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray to build the best team possible and that starts with taking risks and sacrificing the future. To focus on the draft now is a big mistake for them and the franchise may come to regret not doing everything they can to maximize this window of opportunity.
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