Paul George was the most sought-after commodity this past NBA offseason and it appears the Denver Nuggets were interested in acquiring him as well. According to NBA insider Ramona Shelburne, the Nuggets looked into landing George but weren’t interested in parting with Christian Braun, Julian Strawther, or Peyton Watson.
“League sources said the Nuggets inquired about Paul George this offseason, but talks never escalated because Denver refused to discuss Braun, Watson or Strawther, and the Clippers weren’t interested in solely taking back future salary — likely the $147 million owed to Porter and Zeke Nnaji.”
It’s understandable that the Nuggets would have liked to keep Braun. He had shown some promise in his first two seasons in the NBA and has the potential to become a very good role player. Braun has gotten off to a solid start this season too, with averages of 14.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game.
I am a bit puzzled by their refusal to part ways with Strawther and Watson, though. You get that the Nuggets would like some depth and that their being on rookie deals helps them stay under the second apron, but neither of the two has shown a ton of promise.
Strawther didn’t exactly make waves in his rookie season, averaging 4.5 points, 1.2 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game in 2023-24. He played well in the Summer League but hasn’t been all that impactful this season.
Stawther is averaging 6.8 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 1.0 steals per game in 2024-25. Do I see him turning into a key rotational piece for a contender in a year or two? Probably not.
Watson, meanwhile, is in his third season now and is averaging 3.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.2 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game. He hasn’t had the kind of impact you’d have wanted defensively and his offense wasn’t great to begin with.
If the Clippers were willing to send George to Denver provided Stawther and Watson were included in the package, then the Nuggets’ refusal to do business might go down as one of the bigger blunders they’ve made in recent years. I think they would have been serious contenders with him.
George averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game for the Los Angeles Clippers last season. He also shot 41.3% from beyond the arc and would have solved some of the shooting woes for the Nuggets.
By staying put, the Nuggets have certainly taken a step back. They now have a 2-3 record following a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves and it doesn’t look like they’ll be making much noise this season.
It’s crazy to think just how much things have changed in a year. There was talk of the Nuggets potentially going on a dynastic run after winning the 2023 NBA title and we are now talking about their demise. I wouldn’t completely write off a team led by someone as good as Nikola Jokic, but it’s not looking good for the Nuggets right now.
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