free website hit counter Nuggets looking for offensive help via trade, looking at Bulls’ Zach LaVine: Sources – Netvamo

Nuggets looking for offensive help via trade, looking at Bulls’ Zach LaVine: Sources

As of Tuesday evening, Nikola Jokic is about to become just the third player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season. It would go down as one of the best individual seasons in NBA history, and one that would surely catapult Jokić into the the realm of the great who have played this game. But about his Denver Nuggets will remain title contenders, the three-time MVP’s greatness still isn’t enough.

With the NBA’s trade window opening this past weekend, and with the trade deadline less than two months away, the Nuggets are scouring the league in search of a player who can offer significant help offensively, league sources said. The Athletic.

As a result, the Nuggets have either expressed interest in or had preliminary trade discussions regarding the following players: Chicagois Zach Lavine, Washingtonpp Jordan Poole, Utahpp Jordan Clarkson, Atlantapp De’Andre Hunter, BrooklynCam Johnson and the Washingtons Jonas Valančiūnas.

League sources say the focus on LaVine in recent discussions is significant, with the Nuggets interested in the 29-year-old who is averaging 21.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists this season. LaVine, a two-time All-Star, is owed $43 million this season, $45.9 million next season and has a player option worth $48.9 million for the 2026-27 campaign.

This isn’t the first time the Nuggets have shown a desire to upgrade with a wing shooter. As The Athletic was reported at the end of JuneDenver discussed the possibility of adding Paul George in a trade that likely would have included Michael Porter Jr. and Zeke Nnaji who went to the LA Clippers (and George comes to the Nuggets via an extension-and-trade deal). That deal didn’t go down, but it was as strong a sign as any that Denver had identified this need some time ago.

Any major trade would likely involve Porter, according to league sources. Porter has long been one of the best shooters in the league. This season, he has rounded out into an all-around scorer, capable of impacting the offense from all three levels. He has also gotten stronger and has become more impactful defensively than he has been before.

Nnaji is also available, league sources say. Any significant trade the Nuggets would make might also have to involve a pick trade as sweetener.

According to league sources, the Nuggets greatly value Porter and what he does to space Denver’s offense. Porter, who is making $35.8 million this season and is signed through the 2026-27 campaign (guaranteed that season), is having a career year (18.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game).

League sources say the Nuggets even held extension talks with Porter earlier in the season, a strong indication they still feel confident about his long-term future. Porter, 26, is entering the prime of his career while improving as an overall player. He has a history of injury problems but has remained relatively healthy in recent seasons, playing in 81 games last season.

With Jokić averaging 31 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists per game — marks never reached in league history — the need to alleviate some of Jokić’s offensive burden is obvious. He is averaging a career high in field goal attempts (21.1), good for fourth in the league and well above his second-highest total (18.0 in the 2020-21 season). His minutes have increased this season as well, with Jokić averaging 37.3 (tied for second in the league; his second-highest was 34.6 in 2020-21). The Nuggets’ offense is currently ranked seventh in the league (down from fifth last season and fourth the season before, when they won the title).

More importantly, the Nuggets are looking for help in the form of someone who can create offense with the ball in his hands. Many of Denver’s problems stem from Jokić and Jamal Murray are the only players on the roster consistently capable of creating their own shots. League sources say the Nuggets would like to add another player who can do that at a high level.

That’s why Denver has cast a wide net. But the Nuggets’ collective lack of assets as a first-apron team makes getting a deal done with some teams more difficult. For example, Clarkson’s ability to score off the bench, as well as his playoff experience, would be a great fit for the Nuggets. A Clarkson deal would likely not require Denver to include Porter. But that would likely require the Nuggets to include an unprotected first-round pick that Denver might be hesitant to include.

The last two years for Denver have been a mix and match effort to extend a championship window with Jokić as the centerpiece. This season, Jokić has been the absolute best player in the world. But as of Tuesday, the Nuggets are 14-10 overall, fifth in the Western Conference, and teams such as Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies has separated at the top of the standings.

The Nuggets want to make sure they are more viable for the rigors of the regular season and for the postseason, when isolation points become more important.


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(Photo by Zach LaVine and Nikola Jokić: Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

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