There's something different about this off-season. For a franchise that hasn't made the postseason since the 2012-13 season, and has gone a combined 139-189 since that last playoff appearance this past regular season has provided a slight spark for a fan base that desperately needs it. There are numerous ways in which newly appointed GM Arturas Karnisovas can build upon this recent wave of momentum, let's dive into some of the options the organization has this off-season.
- Natural Growth
The emergence of Nikola Jokic into a young star, Gary Harris continues to build on the promise that many envisioned for him, Jamal Murray, and Juancho Hernangomez showed flashes of their potential in limited minutes throughout the season, and while Emmanuel Mudiay hasn't exactly lived up to the lofty expectations we all had for him, he has shown potential in small samples. Along with a solid core of veterans, such as, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Will Barton, and Kenneth Faried, there's plenty of room to grow all across the roster. Also, factor in whomever the Nuggets decide to draft with the 13th pick on Thursday night will only add to the treasure chest of young players on the roster. Allowing the younger players to continue to receive valuable minutes during the regular season, coupled with continued growth, and who knows what the ceiling could be for this team.
2. Free Agency
Over the course of franchise history the Denver Nuggets have never been a free agency hot spot, every player mentioned in the previous paragraph all came via the draft. It isn't often the Nuggets are major players during the free agency period, but burgeoning young players littered across the roster, and A LOT of cap space, specifically $34,396,325 of cap space at the moment, can alter any free agents outlook. A breakout season for Jokic that saw him average 16.7/9.8/4.9, while shooting a team high 57.8% from the floor has helped peak interest in not only The Joker, but the entire organization. A rumored meeting with Chris Paul, and links to other top flight free agents have brought attention upon a franchise that many see as an emerging team in the Western conference. Even if the front office isn't able to acquire any of the top-billed players in this free agency class it shows a willingness to spend, last year's aggressive pursuit of Dwayne Wade is a great example of the adjustment in philosophy for the Denver front office. With optimism increasing with every passing day players are starting to take notice of the transformation unfolding in Denver.
3. Trades
As much as free agency is a part of basketball, and any sport for that matter, so are trades. Every year the rumor mill churns, and churns, and churns some more. So far, the Nuggets haven't been connected to any major trades, but we all know that can change in an instant. This past season's trade deadline saw the Nuggets reportedly make a "monster" trade offer for Indiana Pacers superstar Paul George, the trade eventually fell through in the end. Yet, the fact that Denver aggressively attempted to bring George to Denver goes to show how serious the Nuggets have become about not only becoming a playoff team, but a contending team. George had apparently warned the Nuggets to not trade for him, as he becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of next season, the prospect of trading for George, giving away multiple young assets, and possibly ending up with him leaving after one season is a risky proposition. With powerhouses, such as Golden State, and San Antonio, dominating the Western conference for the foreseeable future a trade to bring in an established superstar, such as George, may be Denver's only path to becoming a true contender.
Regardless of the path the Nuggets take this off-season, and in the future I know we would all love to see a consistently winning squad sometime soon. Comment your thoughts on what you would like to see the Nuggets do this off-season, I would love to hear back from some of you!
