NBA rumors: Nuggets targeting Zach LaVine trade to pair with Nikola Jokic
Yesterday at 10:15 PM
The 2024 Denver Nuggets have been rather disappointing versus expectations, right?
Now, sure, they aren’t the Philadelphia 76ers or some other poor squad that can’t seem to find a win despite adding incredible talent to their roster over the offseason, but after saying goodbye to Kardavious Caldwell-Pope during the offseason, the Nuggets have been treading water in the Western Conference, clearly behind the top teams but not so bad that they could approach a rebuild.
Could the Nuggets catch fire and go on a run? Sure, but they might just need some help to get there, with the dynamic duo of Tony Jones and Sam Amick discussing some potential options the team could pursue based on their reporting.
One name to keep an eye on in the Mile High City? Zach LaVine, the highest-paid player on the Chicago Bulls who has been on the block for what feels like two years now since the team low-key started to pursue a youth movement around players like Coby White and Josh Giddey.
“As a result, the Nuggets have either expressed interest in or have had preliminary trade discussions on the following players: Chicago’s Zach LaVine, Washington’s Jordan Poole, Utah’s Jordan Clarkson, Atlanta’s De’Andre Hunter, Brooklyn’s Cam Johnson, and Washington’s Jonas Valančiūnas.”
Alright, while that collection of players is incredibly eclectic, ranging from guards to wings and even a center for good measure, the idea of bringing LaVine to Denver is a very interesting one for more reasons than one.
On one hand, Lavine is a good scoring guard who could likely play a similar style to long-time point guard Jamal Murray in the two-man offensive game. He can score from all three levels and is a beast in the fast break, where he could benefit from some Jokic deep passes Bo Nix-style.
And yet, LaVine is also a poor defender who does pretty much the opposite of what the KCP used to bring to the table. He would certainly start on the team next to Murray and Michael Porter Jr., but his defensive struggles might provide more harm than good for the Nuggets, as opposing teams would almost certainly target him down the stretch in playoff games, where his position could absolutely be exploited.
Factor in the contractual situation, as Lavine is making $43 million this season, almost $46 million next year, and nearly $49 million in 2026-27, and the idea of bringing the UCLA product to town feels incredibly unlikely, unless, of course, Denver wants to send MPJ to Chicago to move off of his contract too. And yet, the Nuggets wouldn’t be having conversations with the Bulls about LaVine if they didn’t think he could help them out, so hey, you never really know: maybe the two teams could make a deal before the deadline, and every other team will have to adjust to this new NBA.
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