The Denver Nuggets won the 2022-23 NBA championship. It was a fairly dominant run. As a result, the Nuggets didn’t make a lot of changes this summer – they didn’t have to.
With that said, they did lose Bruce Brown. He was an important rotational piece for the Nuggets during their title run. The Nuggets looked fine without him in 2023-24, but if they were going to make a move, they’d likely look to replace Brown.
By contrast, the Houston Rockets were among the worst teams in the NBA last season. That hasn’t been the case in 2023-24. As constructed, Houston may have a surplus of solid defensive wings.
Could they send Jae’Sean Tate to the Nuggets to replace Brown?
NBA Trade Proposal: Denver Nuggets Land Houston Rockets’ Jae’Sean Tate
Houston Rockets Receive: F/C Zeke Nnaji
Denver Nuggets Receive: F Jae’Sean Tate
The Rockets may want to look to the Nuggets as a blueprint. This team has made strides in 2023-24, but they still have a way to go. If they follow the Nuggets, they may get there.
After all, Alperen Sengun is regularly compared to Nikola Jokic. It’s not a precise comparison. Sengun doesn’t make passing reads as quickly as Jokic, even if he shares his creativity.
Meanwhile, he’s likely a more advanced low-post scorer than Jokic was at his age. Will Sengun be Jokic? That’s unlikely. Still, the model is there.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Jae’Sean Tate, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets Updates
If one of Houston’s young guards surpasses Jamal Murray, the Rockets can look to the Nuggets as a guideline for how they want to play basketball.
Should they trade Tate to them in the meantime?
Why The Houston Rockets Do The Deal
It seems like Rockets head coach Ime Udoka is a fan of Tate. That’s understandable. He plays with effort every night. Tate is the longest-tenured Rocket – is he indispensable to this team?
We don’t think so. Tate is in Cam Whitmore’s way. The rookie has flashed immense potential when he’s gotten on the floor recently. He’s also a better shooter than Tate – the Rockets could redistribute Tate’s minutes to Whitmore without compromising their win-now aspirations.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Jae’Sean Tate, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets Updates
Meanwhile, they could use Nnaji. He’s a floor-spacing small ball 5 who can guard multiple positions. Jeff Green has thrived in that role for the Rockets, but he’s 37. Nnaji could be part of their future.
Should the Nuggets make him part of their past?
Why The Denver Nuggets Do The Deal
The Nuggets will miss Nnaji, as the Rockets will miss Tate. With that said, if Denver wants to keep incorporating small ball lines into their attack, they can run Aaron Gordon there.
In the meantime, they could use an extra defensive wing. Tate qualifies. We already touched on his effort, but Tate can guard multiple positions. Offensively, he can make some plays, and he ought to thrive as a cutter alongside Jokic.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Jae’Sean Tate, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets Updates
Tate’s experience playing alongside Sengun ought to help him in Denver. He’ll be playing with the young Turkish star’s final form. If everything clicks, he could help the Nuggets win another NBA championship.
