Denver Nuggets
Nuggets Receive: F Aaron Gordon, F Gary Clark
Losing Jerami Grant was a big loss for the Nuggets, but nobody realized that Grant would have the type of season he is having with the Pistons. The former Nuggets’ forward is having a breakout season with the Pistons, averaging 23.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and shooting 35.3% from three-point range.
With Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic and Michael Porter Jr. the Nuggets had three guys that they could depend on for production, but they felt that they were still missing that extra player that they could lean on, which is why they made the move for Aaron Gordon.
While he missed some time earlier in the year due to an ankle injury, Aaron Gordon has been having a very productive season, averaging 14.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and shooting 37.5% from three-point range. This made him an intriguing name to watch in NBA trade rumors.
The advancements Gordon has made on his perimeter game is what made him such a valuable trade target for numerous playoff contending teams and ultimately why the Nuggets zoned in on him as their top target. Whether it is in the low-post or from the three-point line, Gordon has proved that he can score in many ways and as a result, he is going to be a key player for the Nuggets on offense for the remainder of the year.
RELATED: NBA Trade Rumors: Evaluating 4 biggest winners at 2021 NBA trade deadline
Now, the Nuggets’ starting rotation will likely be Jamal Murray, Will Barton, Michael Porter Jr, Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic, giving them a very athletic and taller lineup that matches up well with almost every team in the Western Conference.
Gary Harris has been injured on and off through the years and has only played in 19 games this year as a result, and he is also owed $19.6M this season and $20.5M next season, which is why the Nuggets chose to move him rather than a key contributor in Will Barton.
While they did give up a fair amount of future value in R.J. Hampton and a first-round pick, this was a great move for the Nuggets to not only to improve their frontcourt depth, but to fill out their power-forward position with somebody that can definitely fill the role of being the third or fourth best scoring option on this team. Whether or not this move takes them to the NBA Finals is yet to be determined but overall, this is a great move by the Nuggets that should set them up for a lot of success the rest of the way.
GRADE: B
