Nuggets, you owe us.
The Avs surrendered, shipping out a Moose for a petting zoo. The Broncos were steamrolled by the Bills. CU and CSU’s men’s hoops teams will need a miracle to go dancing. And, the bleeping Chiefs advanced to their fifth Super Bowl in the past six years.
So, no excuses Nuggets. We don’t need you to make us more miserable.
General manager Calvin Booth, it is time to find a way at next Thursday’s trade deadline to make a move that turns the Nuggets into a team capable of beating Oklahoma City.
Navigating the space between hope and reality is one of your primary responsibilities. And in this case, it requires a direct response. Make a deal. Or sign an available player (more on that later).
This is not an unrealistic demand. Everyone knows the Nuggets are exploring options, poking around, keeping an open mind. There is no reason they cannot improve.
None.
You are not the Rockies, where acquiring a star would be the equivalent of asking a grain of rice to change the flavor of an all-you-can-eat buffet. You are the Nuggets. You have the best player in basketball. Act like it.
Nobody wants to hear about the apron, luxury tax and salary cap gymnastics. The Avs have made this a tired conversation since trading Mikko Rantanen (maybe it will work out in 2026, but they are no longer a title contender this season).
Can we avoid a sequel? Even neutrality represents failure. It is not easy for Booth. But use the urgency to inspire creativity. Nikola Jokic is delivering the best season of his career. You owe it to him to get better, even if only in the margins.
The Denver’s losses to the Bulls and Knicks this week exposed a season-long trend. When the Nuggets play teams with great offenses that hunt 3s, they look lost. They don’t defend beyond the arc well and they don’t get around screens consistently enough. Their overall defense ranks middle of the pack — which is where they were in the championship season — but unlike 2023, there is no Kentavious Caldwell-Pope or Bruce Brown to save them in the postseason.
When they play like they have on this road trip, it is clear they are missing a piece. Christian Braun, Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther continue to show promise, but they need help. If not, plan on Booth using the postseason news conference to explain how another magical Jokic season was sacrificed to develop young players.
Booth wants an organization modeled after the Spurs dynasty, capable of winning multiple crowns over a wide window. The problem is that the rules have changed. The league has created obstacles with rosters, contracts and the cap. The NBA wants parity, not dynasties. The Spurs would not have stayed great under the current system. So it’s better for all concerned if we erase that from the vision board.
But that doesn’t mean the Nuggets should bail or throw their hands in the air.
They can do something.
What is realistic? The Nuggets have shown no appetite to break up their Big 3 of Jokic, Jamal Murray and Porter Jr. But Booth must listen on Porter if it means bringing back Chicago’s Zach LaVine or two capable shooters. Any Porter deal requires Zeke Nnaji’s contract as an attachment.
Regardless, the Nuggets must dump Nnaji’s contract to get under the first apron to allow them to pursue Brown. Remember him? Who wouldn’t welcome a reunion with Bruce?
The Raptors will look to deal him, but it is equally possible Brown will explore a buyout. He is a proven commodity, and despite knee issues this season, would immediately upgrade the Nuggets’ defense.
A less desirable move involves landing a backup big man like Portland’s Robert Williams or Atlanta’s Larry Nance Jr.
That’s worth a flier. It is no longer fair to ask Gordon to keep guarding post players in the postseason. And miss me with the DeAndre Jordan talk. He has made nice contributions, but we all know he’s staring at DNPs in the playoffs.
The Nuggets are not who they once were. The championship team had swagger. This current group lacks the confidence to finish. They don’t trust themselves like they used to when no team was better in the final minutes. It is yet another reason to tweak the roster.
As comprised, the Nuggets are good enough to win a series, good enough to beat everyone but the Thunder. But that is not good enough. Not with Jokic in his prime. How many more years is he going to have like this? Assuming that number is greater than three is naive and guilty of taking him for granted.
Don’t act needy. Get greedy.
GMs get paid to deliver during this time of year. It will require Booth to display sleight of hand. It will be uncomfortable. But let’s not pretend everything is well, and that the apron and the future and the kids provide an excuse to do nothing.
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