The Denver Nuggets have not had the start to the season that they had hoped for. After being expected to contend at the top of the Western Conference, the Nuggets instead hold the fifth seed with a 14-10 record.
Denver’s struggles have mainly been due to their supporting cast around Nikola Jokić. Jokić has once again had an incredible season and is the frontrunner to win the fourth MVP award of his career. While he has dominated, the rest of Denver’s roster has been underwhelming.
Jamal Murray has struggled shooting the ball this season and Aaron Gordon missed time due to an injury. Denver’s offseason additions of Russell Westbrook and Dario Šarić have also not played well, leading to the Nuggets not looking like the championship contender they have been over the past few seasons.
Because of this, the Nuggets are expected to be buyers before the Feb. 6 trade deadline. They have been linked to many players such as Cameron Johnson, Zach Lavine and Jordan Poole, but a recent report has them linked to the New Orleans Pelicans star forward, Brandon Ingram.
“The Athletic report on the Nuggets’ search for a scorer, I’ve heard Brandon Ingram is another player among the group on their radar.” SNY’s Ian Begley reported Tuesday night.
With the Pelicans already out of the playoff race due to their multitude of injuries, they are expected to trade most of their roster, including Ingram, before the Feb. 6 deadline.
In a possible trade, Denver could send Michael Porter Jr., Zeke Nnaji and draft capital to New Orleans for Ingram and Daniel Theis. This trade works for the Pelicans as they would acquire a young forward in Porter Jr. to build around for the future.
For Denver, this is a risky trade. Ingram is set to be an unrestricted free agent after the season, so the Nuggets would have to sign him to an extension to avoid losing him for nothing. He is also recovering from a severe left ankle sprain that has caused him to miss time.
While there is a risk, Ingram would be an upgrade over Porter Jr. The 27-year-old is a great scorer and a better defender than Porter Jr. He would immediately become Denver’s second option behind Jokić due to Murray’s struggles and he could thrive when he is not asked to be the focal point of the team like in New Orleans.
By making this trade, the Nuggets would improve their lineup, which could turn their season around as they look to win their second championship in three seasons.
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