Drafted with the 7th pick of the 2015 NBA Draft, Emmanuel Mudiay was supposed to be the Denver Nuggets' franchise cornerstone. After the departure of Ty Lawson, Mudiay was handed the keys to the Nuggets' offense, and he hasn't looked back since. During his rookie year, Mudiay struggled mightily and posted mediocre averages of 12.8 PPG, 5.5 APG, and shot 36% from the floor. He was also abysmal from the three point line, only converting 31% of his three point attempts.
Now in his sophomore season with the Nuggets, Mudiay is still struggling with his shot, and he isn't producing as the floor general the Nuggets wanted when they drafted him, just averaging 4.1 assists and 2.4 turnovers. With a pesky back injury that has left him completely out of the rotation, Mudiay doesn't have a lot of time to impress Coach Malone and convince the Nuggets organization that he deserves his starter position, or a role on the team at all.
Granted, Mudiay still has some ways to go as a player in regards of development. He is only 20 years old and has amazing potential as a growing point guard. However, the Denver Nuggets have surprised everyone by taking the 8th seed from the likes of the Portland Trailblazers, New Orleans Pelicans, and the Dallas Mavericks. They have taken the next step as a team who last year hit the lottery. They need to build on this success by getting players that can help them win now. In this new NBA generation, point guards who can facilitate and shoot all around the court are heavily valued, which is evidenced by new age point guards such as: Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, and Kyrie Irving.
Most likely, if the Denver Nuggets makes the playoffs with the 8th spot, they will challenge the Golden States Warriors in the first round. Can Emmanuel Mudiay be trusted to run Denver's offense against one of the best defenses in the NBA? As of this season, Mudiay has shot worse than last year, he is still turnover prone, and his durability is now being called into question. If the Denver Nuggets want to win now and be a lock to make the playoffs in the future, they will need to trade Mudiay and obtain a player who can facilitate and space their offense. It is a risk, but a trade involving Mudiay should definitely be one the Nuggets' front office should consider.
