One of five teams not to make a trade in the week leading up to Thursday’s deadline, the Nuggets explored the market in search of either a backcourt or a frontcourt addition, multiple sources tell Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, general manager Calvin Booth confirmed that the front office was seeking “overall depth and depth at the backup center (position),” Durando writes.
“We definitely liked some guys on the market and thought we had some traction in a couple different situations,” Booth said. “Whether other teams just beat us out with their offers or we just didn’t feel like it was the right use of our assets, a combination of those things led us to be where we’re at right now.”
Booth added that the Nuggets felt like they “either had to go big or do nothing,” though he subsequently clarified that – in his mind – a big move would’ve meant acquiring “a significant depth piece,” not necessarily an impact starter.
In fact, while Denver briefly entertained the possibility of a trade involving Michael Porter Jr. and Zach LaVine back in December, the team quickly moved on from considering a significant deal along those lines and was focused more on strengthening its bench, per Durando.
“I think we liked everything that was happening in our rotation, so we weren’t close to doing anything with anybody in our rotation,” Booth said. “It was gonna be some of the guys that are outside of it, like Dario (Saric) and Zeke (Nnaji), and using some of our draft assets to bolster our lineup as opposed to moving a bigger (salary) guy like Mike.”
Saric ($5.17MM) and Nnaji ($8.89MM) would have been logical salary-matching pieces for a player in the mid-level range. However, neither player has had a great season and both have guaranteed money left on their contracts beyond this season, so they would’ve been negative assets on the trade market.
The Nuggets also have an extremely limited collection of tradable draft picks left and are operating over the first tax apron, further complicating their efforts to upgrade the roster.
There was some speculation that the Nuggets might look to duck the first apron at the deadline in order to give themselves the opportunity to sign a player on the buyout market whose pre-waiver salary exceeds the mid-level exception. Booth confirmed the club considered that idea.
“It was an option,” Booth said. “Do we go get a guy on the trade market, or do we just get below (the first apron) and try to get one of these guys that’s potentially gonna on the buyout market that made above a certain number?”
Former Nugget Bruce Brown was considered a potential target in that scenario, but it wouldn’t have made sense for Denver to give up anything of value in a salary-dump trade unless the team was pretty confident about its chances to sign a specific player after the deadline. Brown was sent to the Pelicans and is reportedly not currently viewed as a buyout candidate.
While the Nuggets will be ineligible to sign Brown or anyone else currently earning more than $12.8MM who reaches free agency in the coming weeks, Booth didn’t rule out the idea of making a move on the buyout market, telling reporters that he believes “ownership is open to any conversation.” Denver would have to open up a spot on its 15-man roster to sign a free agent.