At 21-27 on the season, the Denver Nuggets are right in the thick of the playoff race in the Western Conference. They enter Thursday’s action in a statistical tie with the Portland Trail Blazers for the eighth spot.
A lot of this has to do its Denver’s young players stepping up during the 2016-17 season. Despite recent injury issues, center Nikola Jokic his playing at a tremendously high level. The same can be said for veterans Wilson Chandler, Kenneth Faried and Danilo Gallinari.
This surely has Denver thinking playoffs as the NBA season enters its stretch run.
The team is also thinking about whether it can add a reinforcement or two to an already talented roster. According to this report from ESPN’s Zach Lowe that could potentially include moving 2015 top-10 pick and starting point guard Emmanuel Mudiay.
“The Nuggets are quietly exploring what they might get for Emmanuel Mudiay and multiple picks, sources say, but they’re in no rush to move Mudiay,” Lowe reported.
This report came within the larger construct of a piece about Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe and whether he could be a fit for the Nuggets.
Mudiay has started 41 of the 42 games in which he’s appeared this season. He’s averaging 12.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. Decent numbers for a 20-year-old point guard in just his second NBA season. Though, he is also shooting at just a 37 percent clip from the field and currently remains sidelined to injury.
In order for the Nuggets to move someone of Mudiay’s ilk and upside, they would likely have to get a star back in return. Potentially even a proven star. That’s where the idea of trading picks with Mudiay comes into play here.
With a veteran backup in Jameer Nelson in the mix, losing Mudiay for an upgrade at another position might not be the most ridiculous idea in the world.
Still, it seems highly unlikely that the Nuggets would part ways with a youngster in Mudiay who has star potential written all over him.