The Denver Nuggets were a dark horse team for the Kevin Love trade earlier this offseason and while that deal is very unlikely now, the Nugs have players that they can move and a trade with Kenneth Faried, JaVale McGee or Ty Lawson could be coming this summer or this season if the team doesn't improve and Faried could be a major target as he gets near free agency for teams like the Knicks, Bulls and Rockets.
The Nuggets have the chance to be a talented team this season, but they have to play much better under head coach Brian Shaw, as the team won only 36 games last year. According to ESPN.com, the team had thought about getting in on the Kevin Love trade talks, as they were looking to swing a three team deal that included Kenneth Faried and Wilson Chandler along with Arron Afflalo from the Magic, but that never gained much traction. Now that the team has Afflalo, they could look at the deal of things break down with the Warriors or Cavaliers, but it's likely that the team sits tight.
The biggest thing for the Nuggets this season is Faried, as he has developed into one of the top lung rebounders in the league and he is looking to get paid. Pro Basketball Talk reports that the team is looking to start extension talks with Faired, as he is eligible to get a deal this season. Faried can be a restricted free agent after next year and the Nuggets want to keep him, but if his price gets too high he will come up in trade talks like Love is now.
Faired is getting into a Carmelo Anthony/Dwight Howard situation with the Nuggets, as they could lose him down the line if they don't come to an agreement. The team obviously can match offers next year since he is restricted, but after what happened with Chandler Parsons and the Rockets this year, no deals are guaranteed to get matched. The Nuggets could trade Faried for a nice package, but they would rather try and sign him to an extension. The team is paying Lawson quite a bit and that is one reason why he could get moved this summer, especially if the team offers him a four-year, $40 million type deal, which was what Larry Sanders got.
Afflalo is excited to be back in Denver and while he may have super high expectations, he thinks this team can compete in the west and in the league for a championship. According to Pro Basketball Talk, Afflalo thinks that the Nuggets can bounce back, as he was just with a 20-62 and 23-59 team in Orlando over the past few years and he said that bring there prepared him to come back to Denver as a better player. Afflalo actually had his best season last year and he was mentioned in trade rumors quote a bit and now he is back.
The Nuggets struck out on Mike Miller and now they will try and improve this season after winning 36 games and ranking in the top 10 in scoring offense. Shaw needs to get the D better, as they were 28th in points allowed last season.
