The Nuggets are finally ready to make moves, albeit a year too late

Since winning the NBA championship in 2023, the Denver Nuggets have lost Bruce Brown Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. While neither was the leading star for the team, they were both core role players and a significant part of the team's championship run. Denver has failed to replace either of them.

The result of the front office's malaise has been a steady decline. Denver currently sits fifth in the Western Conference with a 14-10 record. This is not bad, but for a team with the best player in the world on its roster, it is not good enough. 

A recent report from The Athletic's Tony Jones and Sam Amick has cited the Nuggets as being a potential player in the trade market ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline. The front office appears to have realized that something needs to change.

"The Nuggets are canvassing the league in pursuit of a player who can offer significant help offensively, league sources tell The Athletic," Jones and Amick reported. "As a result, the Nuggets have either expressed interest in, or have had preliminary trade discussions on the following players: Chicago’s Zach LaVine, Washington’s Jordan Poole, Utah’s Jordan Clarkson, Atlanta’s De’Andre Hunter, Brooklyn’s Cam Johnson and Washington’s Jonas Valanciunas."

All of the names mentioned in The Athletic's report make sense for one reason or another. The truth is that Denver needs to make a move, big or small. Its roster has become stagnant, and two seasons of thumb-twiddling from the front office have started to manifest on the court. Denver is starting to act like a contending team again. 

Of course, some of the players named make more sense than others. LaVine's contract is too restrictive, and given his injury history, the Nuggets would be wise to avoid him. Poole and Johnson are both strong options, though, given their three-level scoring talent. Poole is an NBA champion and could thrive on a more competitive team. 

Regardless of who Denver opts to pursue, the fanbase will likely be pleased to see the team operating in a proactive fashion. The Nuggets have been at risk of regressing to the point of needing a full re-tooling. The team must follow through and finally add another high-level talent to the rotation if its wants to keep competing at the top end of the NBA.