Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a very sneaky team to watch out for in the James Harden sweepstakes as a trade partner for the Houston Rockets. Over the years, they have consistently been one of the better teams in the Western Conference, but seem to fall short every year of reaching the NBA Finals. In back-to-back seasons, the Nuggets lost in the Western Conference Semis and the Western Conference Finals and are one piece away from finally breaking through in the Western Conference.
Adding James Harden to pair with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray is what the Nuggets need to make the NBA Finals in a crowded Western Conference. Both Harden and Jokic are inside the Top 15 in assists per game in the NBA and with the shooting strength that this team would possess with James Harden, they would definitely be contenders in the Western Conference.
Denver recently lost Jerami Grant in free agency to the Detroit Pistons and does not have much depth at the guard positions on their roster. While they would likely have to trade Michael Porter Jr. and a guy like Gary Harris, bringing in James Harden and finding veteran players to fill out the roster on the wing would be a perfect situation for Denver. Outside of Jokic and Murray, the Nuggets do not have a reliable scoring option.
Bringing in James Harden not only takes a lot of weight off of Jamal Murray’s shoulders, but allows him to play off-the-ball as well, which he thrived at in college and early on in his career. Both Murray and Harden are two great iso-players and can play the two-man game with Nikola Jokic. The option of having that third All-Star caliber talent on the roster would be huge for Denver and the turning point for them as a franchise.
Financially, the Nuggets would be taking on a lot of money over the next few seasons, but if they want to win a championship, especially in the Western Conference, that is what it is going to take. Every team out west is doing everything they can to compete with what the Lakers, Clippers and Warriors have done over the years and if the Nuggets do not want to fall behind, they need to make a big move and create an All-Star trio. James Harden would fit in perfectly with this roster and in this system.
