Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Denver Nuggets Named 'Potential Suitor' For Coveted Free Agent, They Need The Bench Help

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Nathaniel Holloway | Last updated Dec 31, 2024 9:00 AM ET

As the NBA season approaches the halfway point, many franchises around the league know what they need to upgrade their roster to become championship contenders. Some teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors have already made trades to improve their roster, and many more moves are set to come before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

One team that has been in rumors about making moves is the Denver Nuggets. Denver currently sits sixth in the Western Conference standings with a 18-13 record. They were expected to once again challenge for the top spot in the West this season, but the Nuggets have not looked like themselves thus far.

Nikola Jokić is once again in the MVP race as he is putting together arguably the best season of his career, but outside of him and Michael Porter Jr., who is also having a career-year, the rest of Denver’s roster has struggled.

One of Denver’s main struggles has been their bench production. Their bench ranks near the bottom of the NBA in scoring and has been a major issue for the Nuggets this season. Because of this, they have entered trade rumors, but they could instead save their trade assets and sign one of the most coveted free agents, Lonnie Walker IV.

According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, Denver is interested in Walker IV, along with many other teams.

Walker IV was waived by the Boston Celtics earlier this season and opted to play overseas for Zalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania. So far this season he is averaging 14.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. For any team to sign him, they will have to fulfill his $450,000 buyout with Zalgiris.

The 26-year-old played six seasons in the NBA after being selected 18^th overall in the 2017 draft by the San Antonio Spurs. Last season, he averaged 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game with the Brooklyn Nets.

If the Nuggets can sign him, they would be adding a much-needed scorer off their bench, and he is also a solid defender. With this move, the Nuggets would also keep all their trade assets so that they can continue to look at other ways to improve their roster.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: