NBA Trade Rumors: Denver Nuggets Shopping Jusuf Nurkic, Other Veterans In Efforts To Make Room For Paul Millsap
The NBA trade rumors are getting serious for the Denver Nuggets, who appear to be ready to move a number of veterans to make the space necessary to land forward Paul Millsap from the Atlanta Hawks.
Millsap is one of the most coveted players as the trade deadline creeps ever closer, and the Nuggets have emerged as one of the most serious candidates. A report from ESPN claimed that the Nuggets are ready to do some shuffling needed to make room for Millsap, including moving third-year big man Jusuf Nurkic.
Nurkic has seen his role on the team shrinking since Nikola Jokic was moved to center, ESPN noted, and the frustration is starting to show.
“For sure, it’s tough,” Nurkic told the Denver Post on December 29. “I’m not here to sit on the bench. I’m here to play basketball. And it’s a tough decision for me, from a starting spot and 20 minutes to four straight [games of not playing]…. You control what you control, and I let my agent do the rest of the stuff.”
ESPN’s Marc Stein reported that Atlanta is seeking at least one quality first-round pick in exchange for Paul Millsap. That likely means something better than the late-round pick they got from the Cleveland Cavaliers in return for Kyle Korver, CBS Sports reported.
The report added that this price might drive away teams like the Toronto Raptors but could be a boon for the Nuggets, who are already flush with draft picks and could use those assets to land Millsap.
“For the Denver Nuggets, a known Millsap suitor, this could be good news. The 14-22 Nuggets have an extra first-round pick coming their way from the Memphis Grizzlies this June, and they don’t owe any of their future first-rounders to anybody. The complication here is that, with Millsap, they might be a playoff team, which would drive down the value of their picks.”
The trade of Kyle Korver to the Cleveland Cavaliers signaled that the Atlanta Hawks were in the mood to deal, and many expected that Millsap would be the next one to go, Yahoo Sports reported.
“Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical is reporting that Paul Millsap will likely be the next to go. We already knew the Hawks were ‘listening’ to offers for Millsap, but Woj said they are now motivated to move him ‘sooner rather than later.’ There is so much to talk about around the league, so I’m going to skip the usual game recaps and break down the stuff that matters for your fantasy team.”
But to land Millsap, the Nuggets would likely have to be aggressive as there are reportedly a number of other teams that covet the forward.
Philadelphia 76ers Can Be Third Team in Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks in Paul Millsap Trade – The Sixer Sense https://t.co/Z7zCo5oupn
— Philad 76ers view (@Philad76ersview) January 8, 2017
Millsap is averaging 17.7 points, and 8.2 rebounds this season and has been on a particularly hot streak of late. He has scored in double digits in 15 of the last 16 games, including 17 points in a 99-94 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday. Millsap showed off his all-around game in the win, adding 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block.
The NBA trade rumors around Paul Millsap have gotten more heated in the last week as the Atlanta Hawks reportedly named their asking price, saying they want both players and draft picks in return for the versatile big man.
The NBA trade rumors surrounding the Denver Nuggets aren’t all that new. As ESPN reported back in July, the Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks were already in discussions last summer about a trade for Paul Millsap for a package of draft picks and players, with Kenneth Faried as the main piece.
[Featured Image by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images]
