Nuggets plan for next year and beyond

[dropBHOmbs]

I really like this Nuggets team, they are athletic and just money when their shot is dropping. When their shot is off... its ugly. If you ask me, they need more shooters. I like Andre, he is a great player at times, but I think he will find a starting job elsewhere. Kings perhaps?

To improve the PG spot the nuggets should sign John Lucas to a 3yr/ 8 mil deal. He is a good shooter off the bench, and I dont think Chicago pays him that much because of luxury tax concerns. Keep Julyan Stone around as a cheap 3rd stringer who is tall, just in case the short PGs get shut down. This is handing the keys to Ty Lawson, while keeping depth.

For the SG spot try and get a 2nd for Brewer. Replace him in the rotation with the much better shooter Jordan Hamilton. Hamilton improves the nuggets rebounding particularly on D which is where we are lacking.

For SF stand pat IMO. Gallinari will come back from injury, although I am starting to worry he is going to be a fragile player. Have Chandler back Gallo up and be injury insurance.

At Pf use the 2012 1st rounder to get a skilled, long PF/C to back up Faried. Keep Harrington unless his 7~ mil salary is worth using the amnesty on. The only situation in which I see that happening is if a VERY good FA is coming to Denver.

At C Sign McGee to a 4yr/38mil deal making him the 2nd highest paid Nugget and 3rd Highest once Lawson gets extended. Promote Kosta to backup. Trade Mozgov, he is lost on the court. They say you can teach 7'1" and althletic... so IMO we could get a high 2nd. Forgot to mention, Bird is a good bench warmer. I say keep him.

Trade Moz's return and the GSW#2 and the 1st for a higher pick or use some combo of those assets to get a good young player or two. Maybe trade Mozgov for a 2nd to use on a scoring guard like Teague or Kabango? Trade up for Perry Jones? So many posibilities with our pick, GSW 2nd, Moz and Brewer.

Ty Lawson/J.Lucas/J.Stone
Arron Afflalo/J.Hamilton
Gallinari/Chandler
Faried/ Harrington/ 2012 1st
J.Mcgee/ Kosta Koufos/ Bird

I think we would be good or at least close to the salary floor and under the cap by a good margin.

That is a much better shooting team. Also much younger. Lucas is 30 but he has barely played in the NBA so his body is fresh compared to someone else his age. Also he is a shooter so he will age somewhat gracefully. Also the nuggets will get an extra infusion of talent with the possible lotto pick the 2014 NYK pick, whether it be by trade or an actual pick.

I hope they dont do anything too major but they add some nice young prospects this year. I want to see what they can do in 2012-2013, especially if they get a new coach.

[eathb_au]

John Lucas will probably be considered a vet by Karl which gives him a reason to end games the 2 PGs.

If it were me, I would re-sign Stone and draft a PG like Kendall Marshall or Troy Wroten since I doubt Karl will end games with rookies.

Agreed that Hamilton should be in the rotation. I would keep Brewer since he is a good defender and is a serviceable backup but let Rudy walk but I would definitely use Hamilton has the backup 2/3 since we need some shooters bad.

Al Harrington should be amnestied, he's an atrocious defender and one of our defensive problems all year begins with him overhelping or requiring doubles because he can't defend his guy.

McGee re-sign if we can.

Mozgov sucks and shouldn't play anymore. Trade him for anything. I feel we need another big that is a decent interior defender. If the Mavs amnesty Brendon Haywood, I would try to pick him up.

[youngthegiant]

- Trade Wilson Chandler for a lottery pick

- Draft John Henson(give up a second rounder to move up or hopefully he falls to us.)

- Draft Kendall Marshall with the pick we acquired with wilson chandler

- Throw some money at either Courtney Lee, Donte Greene or Landry Fields.( I especially like donte greene because he is a 6'11 small forward who can shoot the 3. Very athletic and underutilized in sac town. Guy would fit in perfectly in our offense and i doubt the kings re-sign him.)

-Move mozzy and one of our second rounders to grab fab melo. A good defensive center who can block shots. He is expected to go late in the first or early in the second. We should be able to get him by moving mozzy.

-get rid of harrington, anderson, brewer at any cost.

- and if we somehow manage to keep one our second rounders, draft Will Barton


Lineup
Ty Lawson/Kendall Marshall
Arron Afflalo/ Jordan Hamilton/Will Barton
Danilo Gallinari/Donte Greene
John Henson/Kenneth Faried/Koufos
Javale Mcgee/Fab Melo/ Kosta Koufos

Extremely young team but very bright future

[The Rebel]

Personally I would trade Lawson. I don't like the lack of aggressiveness from TY it just seems like he fades away at times, personally I think the team would be better off long term with a bigger pg that plays better defense.

I would also trade Gallo and Mozgov to try to get a guy like Al Horford, the Hawks still have a problem with smith and Horford being best suited for the PF slot, and I think they would move him for a good sf and more big man depth. With the injuries I just do not see Gallo ever staying healthy. the deal I would look at is Horford for Gallo and Mozgov and a future 1st.

I would then trade Harrington, andersen and a 2nd rounder for Ben Gordon. both guys are not really needed and not a long term fit while gordon can bring the outside shooting the teams desperately needs off the bench. It breaks up Gordon's contract for the Pistons, and gets them some decent depth.

with the pick from trading Lawson I can see the Nuggets getting into the top 10, where I would take the best available bigman.

With the Nuggets 1st I would draft a PG.

I would dump Brewer as well using a 2013 2nd round pick if I had to.

With the Warriors 2nd round pick I would take a backup 2/3

I would then throw a 4 yr $30 million contract at Dragic.

finish it off by resigning McGee to a market deal, which I think is going to be a 4yr $40 million deal at the minimum.

Dragic/ rookie PG(2nd pick)/Stone
Afflalo/ Gordon
Chandler/ Hamilton/ 2nd round pick
Horford/ Faried/ 1st pick
McGee/ Koufos

While the team is not as young anymore you have a team with the chance to be what they supposedly want, which is a team with a top 10 player at each position if Mcgee and Dragic take the next step. You also have some young depth that has the chance to improve and push the starters while providing scoring off the bench.

[eathb_au]

I like the idea of trading Harrington for Gordon but if Detroit wants an undersized PF that can sometimes make 3s but cannot rebound, they would just play Charie V.

[Ice32]

Denver gave Nene 65 million (since traded and McGee will demand close to that)
They gave Afflalo 38 million
They Gave Koufos 9 million
They gave Chandler 37 million
They gave Gallo 38 million

I think they are going to regret every single one of these contracts very soon.

Ty will probably get an ext next season for 30-40 million.

This Denver organisation will not go far with this core and GK as coach.

[TheBigEnglish]

Denver gave Nene 65 million (since traded and McGee will demand close to that)
They gave Afflalo 38 million
They Gave Koufos 9 million
They gave Chandler 37 million
They gave Gallo 38 million

I think they are going to regret every single one of these contracts very soon.

Ty will probably get an ext next season for 30-40 million.

This Denver organisation will not go far with this core and GK as coach.

I'm definitely starting to have doubts about this core also.
I don't think there's any way they give McGee over $10mil/year. Only that much cause bigs get paid. If someone else wants to throw more money at him, go right ahead.
Koufos was a solid contract, and I think he'll be the backup center for a while. I expect Moz to be traded this offseason, unless McGee is given a swift kick out the door.
Gallo's contract seems worthwile at the moment. I'm sure the intention is still to hold on to him.
Chandler's contract is pricey, but he's a versatile player and plenty of teams would be willing to pick up that contract if the Nuggets opt to trade him.
AAA's contract is awful. I'm really having a hard time trusting he's anything more than a 2mil/yr (Dahntay Jones) type of player. Sure he has a good work ethic, but his defense has been far from excellent, and his offense is non existent for the majority of most games. He seems to have a 5 minute spurt of offense here and there, and sometimes it's at the end of games helping the win, but he hasn't put in a good 48 minute game yet this year. Unless something drastic changes, this will be an unmovable contract that haunts this team for a while.
The question is what is Ty gonna get paid this year. I expected the Nuggets to offer up to $12mil/yr, because they keep pushing that he's gonna be an upper echelon pg. Ty cannot show up once every 4 games and get this kind of contract though. He's the best player on the team, and probably my favorite player to watch in the NBA when he's on his game, but when he's not, the Nuggets look and play terrible for the most part. Until he shows some consistency, I am not even convinced he should be guaranteed the starting pg slot next year. Should mgmt chase Deron Williams? You know Karl has a man crush for the guy.

[The Rebel]

Denver gave Nene 65 million (since traded and McGee will demand close to that)
They gave Afflalo 38 million
They Gave Koufos 9 million
They gave Chandler 37 million
They gave Gallo 38 million

I think they are going to regret every single one of these contracts very soon.

Ty will probably get an ext next season for 30-40 million.

This Denver organisation will not go far with this core and GK as coach.

I'm definitely starting to have doubts about this core also.
I don't think there's any way they give McGee over $10mil/year. Only that much cause bigs get paid. If someone else wants to throw more money at him, go right ahead.
Koufos was a solid contract, and I think he'll be the backup center for a while. I expect Moz to be traded this offseason, unless McGee is given a swift kick out the door.
Gallo's contract seems worthwile at the moment. I'm sure the intention is still to hold on to him.
Chandler's contract is pricey, but he's a versatile player and plenty of teams would be willing to pick up that contract if the Nuggets opt to trade him.
AAA's contract is awful. I'm really having a hard time trusting he's anything more than a 2mil/yr (Dahntay Jones) type of player. Sure he has a good work ethic, but his defense has been far from excellent, and his offense is non existent for the majority of most games. He seems to have a 5 minute spurt of offense here and there, and sometimes it's at the end of games helping the win, but he hasn't put in a good 48 minute game yet this year. Unless something drastic changes, this will be an unmovable contract that haunts this team for a while.
The question is what is Ty gonna get paid this year. I expected the Nuggets to offer up to $12mil/yr, because they keep pushing that he's gonna be an upper echelon pg. Ty cannot show up once every 4 games and get this kind of contract though. He's the best player on the team, and probably my favorite player to watch in the NBA when he's on his game, but when he's not, the Nuggets look and play terrible for the most part. Until he shows some consistency, I am not even convinced he should be guaranteed the starting pg slot next year. Should mgmt chase Deron Williams? You know Karl has a man crush for the guy.

afflalo is paid like a 4th starter on a good team, those guys should not be expected to carry an offense for a full game. He is a role player being asked to play a much bigger role, and since his slow start he has been getting better every month. go ask anyone who knows NBA basketball what a player who puts up 16.3 ppg with 46% shooting, with solid defense is worth in todays NBA. that is what Afflalo has done the last 2 months, since he got back in shape. for all the hype Gallo gets he has had a total of one month where he can match those kind of numbers, and yet he gets paid 30% more over his contract and has many more games missed due to injury.

As for Deron williams, why would they want him, and why would he join the Nuggets? they are not ready to bring in a final piece to be a contender, they are not even in playoff contention if they did not start off the season so hot. this team has several big holes in the lineup and bringing in a pg is not even going to come close to solving that issue. Not to mention williams is not going to leave a lotto team in brooklyn to come to a lotto team in Denver, when the Mavericks have a long winning history and an owner who does not dump talent every year to save money.

[The Rebel]

I like the idea of trading Harrington for Gordon but if Detroit wants an undersized PF that can sometimes make 3s but cannot rebound, they would just play Charie V.

You may be right, although CV seems to be on the outs more due to his attitude and lack of work ethic as opposed to style of game. That being said change Harrington with Brewer and they still may do it to save some money and get another future asset.

[TheBigEnglish]

afflalo is paid like a 4th starter on a good team, those guys should not be expected to carry an offense for a full game. He is a role player being asked to play a much bigger role, and since his slow start he has been getting better every month. go ask anyone who knows NBA basketball what a player who puts up 16.3 ppg with 46% shooting, with solid defense is worth in todays NBA. that is what Afflalo has done the last 2 months, since he got back in shape. for all the hype Gallo gets he has had a total of one month where he can match those kind of numbers, and yet he gets paid 30% more over his contract and has many more games missed due to injury.

As for Deron williams, why would they want him, and why would he join the Nuggets? they are not ready to bring in a final piece to be a contender, they are not even in playoff contention if they did not start off the season so hot. this team has several big holes in the lineup and bringing in a pg is not even going to come close to solving that issue. Not to mention williams is not going to leave a lotto team in brooklyn to come to a lotto team in Denver, when the Mavericks have a long winning history and an owner who does not dump talent every year to save money.

Only reason I brought up DWill is cause his name has come up by Karl and Masai multiple times and I've seen plenty of Nugget fans crossing their fingers that he'll be coming here. Personally, I'm not a fan of the idea, but just mentioned it cause it's been going round some Nuggets circles.
And I think AAA was the scapegoat for my frustrations after last nights game! I've actually been defending him in the same stance you are for most of the year! I shouldn't be allowed near the internet after a loss!

[patrol345]

I don't see why people wanna trade ty. You would basically be trading for 6 more points and 1.5 more dimes in dwill who is 4 years older than ty and makes the max which ty isn't gonna get. Its not like he's leading new jersey to the promise land or anything so what good would it do? I'm sorry but we need to keep the youth movement going. Get rid of dre, al, bird, brewer, and mozgov use our pick a future pick and chandler to move in the lottery for a jared sullinger typ pf. And hire a head coach from a spurs assistant.

[Ice32]

afflalo is paid like a 4th starter on a good team, those guys should not be expected to carry an offense for a full game. He is a role player being asked to play a much bigger role, and since his slow start he has been getting better every month. go ask anyone who knows NBA basketball what a player who puts up 16.3 ppg with 46% shooting, with solid defense is worth in todays NBA. that is what Afflalo has done the last 2 months, since he got back in shape.

Im sorry, but when it takes an NBA player 2-3 months to finally get into 'game shape' and put up 16-17ppg, he's not worthy of the money he makes. You cant tell me that Afflalo sat on his couch for 6 months in the off-season not working on his game. Sure he didn't play in Pick Up games like the other stars, but Im positive that he did work on his jumper, work on his strength training, fitness regime etc. NBA players are professional athletes getting paid millions to do their job every single night. The only reason his scoring has increased the last few months is because Nene/Gallo were injured - he took more shots and made more shots. You bring back Gallo who takes 11 shots a game and Afflalo's numbers will be effected.

His defense is no better than Corey Brewer's who plays only 22 mpg and comes up with more steals, more blocks, fewer turnovers and fewer fouls. Afflalo has the worst +/- on this team.

To me, Afflalo can be a good player, but he's not a great player. Latley he has been getting easily frustrated and it has been detrimental to the team - leaders don't do that. If he wants to be a leader of this team, compete for 48 mins a game and lead by example.

[Mass Rig]

The truth is that Gallo is fundamental for this team. Not just on offense, but defensively as well.

Faried is not a starter in this league. Undersized and just not a good 1vs1 defender at the PF position. Chandler might become a good sixth man, but honestly right now I would have rather kept Nene'. But if they traded him, there had to be something behind the scenes going on.

[nugzin2040]

I like and agree with most of the original posters ideas. They seem realistic, although I think McGee will get a salary averaging $10 million a year at least. I think if we can, should try to move Andersen and Harrington.

[dropBHOmbs]

I think the need for a scoring big man is apparent. Also better wing/back court players. Basically there is room for improvement everywhere on this nuggets team. Luckily nearly all of our players are positive assets and can easily be traded.

If Elton Brand is waived by Philly this summer we must pick him up. Philly would be paying most of his salary, but we could bid 3.5m and get a starting power forward.

Ty Lawson
AAA/ Ham
Gallo/ Chandler
Brand/ Faried
McGee/ Kosta

Hard to tell who starts at PF

I like the idea of Horford. He is a basic, efficient solid player, imo he is a 25yo Nene. He is also being paid like Nene. A reason that our FO may stay away from Al Horford. Also, giving up Gallo to get Horford would be so dumb. I'd say McGee+ Chandler for Horford is an offer that ATL cant refuse. They get two starters who fit with Smith, they get younger and save money. This would be mid next year when McGee is eligible to be traded.

Ty
AAA/ Ham
Gallo
Faried/ Harington
Horford

There are two vet PF FAs the nuggets should target if Brand is not waived or no trade is made. Ersan Illysovia and Ryan Andersen. IMO a three point shooter PF is a good thing to have. I know we have Al, but he is getting old and does not rebound like either of these guys. Also, I think these guys have an edge defensively.

Thoughts? I believe the nuggets need a mid level star. IMO they need to pick up a really good PF or a guard who shoots alot.

[The Rebel]

there is no way that the Hawks trade Horford for McGee and chandler, Horford may not fit with Smith, but he will bring back more then McGee and Chandler.

[dropBHOmbs]

there is no way that the Hawks trade Horford for McGee and chandler, Horford may not fit with Smith, but he will bring back more then McGee and Chandler.

Horford is a meh player. He is basically Nene. If it takes more than McGee and Chandler... NEXT!!! I'll take Brand, McGee, Chandler over Horford any day. If Horford brings back more than that I would be shocked. Horford is unspectacular if solid, but IMO he just doesnt have a very big impact. At the end of next year Josh Smith is a free agent set to make 16-17m per year after a ~5m raise. Jeff Teague is making just more than Lawson and is set for a raise if they keep him or if they don't. Being a RFA teams will overpay Teague, in hopes to (more easily) get him away from a Lux tax team. Between Teague and Smith they should be making an extra 8-10 million dollars, which makes their cap situation very tight. Joe Johnson's 120m contract is virtually impossible to amnesty without bankrupting the franchise.

This new CBA will make steps toward its goals including a far more punitive luxury tax. This year it's not so bad. Next year it is worse. The year after it is in full effect, with a "sliding scale" of sorts that more heavily penalizes teams with the most salary. Joe Johnson is making tons of money and is un-amnesty-able for that reason. He is also un-tradeable. Maybe they could get smaller bad contracts if they gave up Teague or some other assets but that is the best case trade scenario. Basically he is untradeable because it would be franchise suicide to do so. They are stuck with him for better or worse and they are going to build around him.

I imagine McGee will be making <8m because he is not that great of a player. That said he is huge and blocks shots. Teams love that. Chandler will be making about 6 with incentives. That's one or two million more than Horford. Having Chandler makes Marvin Williams expendable. They could use their amnesty on Marvin Williams if things get desperate, or they could trade Chandler to a third team for low rent assets like 1st round picks. It's a move that makes sense.

Trading Gallo for Horford would be asinine.

[The Rebel]

there is no way that the Hawks trade Horford for McGee and chandler, Horford may not fit with Smith, but he will bring back more then McGee and Chandler.

Horford is a meh player. He is basically Nene. If it takes more than McGee and Chandler... NEXT!!! I'll take Brand, McGee, Chandler over Horford any day. If Horford brings back more than that I would be shocked. Horford is unspectacular if solid, but IMO he just doesnt have a very big impact. At the end of next year Josh Smith is a free agent set to make 16-17m per year after a ~5m raise. Jeff Teague is making just more than Lawson and is set for a raise if they keep him or if they don't. Being a RFA teams will overpay Teague, in hopes to (more easily) get him away from a Lux tax team. Between Teague and Smith they should be making an extra 8-10 million dollars, which makes their cap situation very tight. Joe Johnson's 120m contract is virtually impossible to amnesty without bankrupting the franchise.

Horford is a meh player? A guy who puts up 15 and 9.5 with a ts% of 58.7% with solid defense at 25 years old is a meh player? I think most basketball people would love to have a less injury prone better version of Nene, add in the fact that Horford has always done it on a much slower paced system then Nene has ever played in and Horford is a much better version. Anybody with real knowledge about basketball does not see a guy who puts up those kind of numbers as a meh center, not to mention he is actually a PF, that has been playing out of position.

As for Brand, are you kidding me? He is an 11 and 7.5 player with a ts% of 51.8% (55% is considered average), and his defense is mediocre at best. The guy is past done, and is not worth signing to a contract. As for McGee and Chandler, neither one of them are all that good, and the fact of the matter is that I would not even resign mcgee for the contract he is likely to get this year, he sucks on defense, really is not all that good on offense, and is overrated because he can block shots. Chandler at this point is beginning to look borderline overpaid at this point, even only making $6 million a year, if anything his value has tanked since the Melo deal last year, since his numbers have went to hell and his game as a whole has been exposed.If you build a team around guys like that not only do you have a high payroll, but you can expect to be a late lotto team for a long damn time.

This new CBA will make steps toward its goals including a far more punitive luxury tax. This year it's not so bad. Next year it is worse. The year after it is in full effect, with a "sliding scale" of sorts that more heavily penalizes teams with the most salary. Joe Johnson is making tons of money and is un-amnesty-able for that reason. He is also un-tradeable. Maybe they could get smaller bad contracts if they gave up Teague or some other assets but that is the best case trade scenario. Basically he is untradeable because it would be franchise suicide to do so. They are stuck with him for better or worse and they are going to build around him.

I agree they are having money issues, but a signed and traded McGee and adding Chandler is not going to solve their problems, the 2 of them combined will end up making much more then Horford, which could cause them to lose Josh Smith. You spend a paragraph + some talking about their money problems, and then continue to say they should do a deal where they will end up adding $3-4 million a year in payroll for 2 guys who are not really worth the money for an already bloated payroll.

I imagine McGee will be making <8m because he is not that great of a player. That said he is huge and blocks shots. Teams love that. Chandler will be making about 6 with incentives. That's one or two million more than Horford. Having Chandler makes Marvin Williams expendable. They could use their amnesty on Marvin Williams if things get desperate, or they could trade Chandler to a third team for low rent assets like 1st round picks. It's a move that makes sense.

Maybe you missed it earlier, but guys like Dalembert and and Kwame Brown get 7-8 million a year, guys like deandre Jordan get $10.5. Even with the mental issues, Javalle puts up much better numbers then Jordan ever has, McGee is a better overall player, is bigger and more athletic, and has been a full time starter for 2 years, now what makes you think that he is going to get less then Jordan got? McGee will sign a contract for at least $10.5 million a year this next summer, saying he will get less then $8 is ludicrous and not based on reality.

How long do you think it takes Chandler to become a bad contract? $6 million per year for a guy putting up 10.7, 6, and 2 on horrible shooting percentages and that has had his numbers drop considerably since leaving the D'antoni system?

Trading Gallo for Horford would be asinine.

trading a Small forward that has missed at least 20+ games in 3 of the last 4 years, and is not all that good for a 15 and 9.5 pf that has been playing out of position at center for the last few years is asinine? I know the Gallo hype is in full effect but reality is he is worth more in trade then he is to any actual team with him on their roster. the guy is slated to miss the rest of this season which puts him at half the season missed, and an average of 27 games missed per season, for that he gets $10.5 million a year. Add in the fact the guy only puts up 15 ppg (for a supposed good scorer) and is basically average at everything else, and where does he get such immense value? I would trade him for a very good big any day of the week, to hold onto him until he becomes a bad contract is what is asinine.

[dropBHOmbs]

Horford is a meh player? A guy who puts up 15 and 9.5 with a ts% of 58.7% with solid defense at 25 years old is a meh player? I think most basketball people would love to have a less injury prone better version of Nene, add in the fact that Horford has always done it on a much slower paced system then Nene has ever played in and Horford is a much better version. Anybody with real knowledge about basketball does not see a guy who puts up those kind of numbers as a meh center, not to mention he is actually a PF, that has been playing out of position.

Thats pretty MEH, I know he puts up great numbers but he is the best role player in basketball and not much more. I would much rather trade for Millsap than Al Horford. Horford has no upside, dont try and sell it like he does. Nene is a better post scorer than Horford, which IMO is our biggest need at pf/c. Horford is a very, very nice mid range shooter, but the guy needs to be assisted a ton to score as efficiently as he does. Awfully convenient that you didnt mention the number of games Horford played in this year... Also if he is a PF playing at C, then he would still be a PF out of position starting next to Faried.

As for Brand, are you kidding me? He is an 11 and 7.5 player with a ts% of 51.8% (55% is considered average), and his defense is mediocre at best. The guy is past done, and is not worth signing to a contract. As for McGee and Chandler, neither one of them are all that good, and the fact of the matter is that I would not even resign mcgee for the contract he is likely to get this year, he sucks on defense, really is not all that good on offense, and is overrated because he can block shots. Chandler at this point is beginning to look borderline overpaid at this point, even only making $6 million a year, if anything his value has tanked since the Melo deal last year, since his numbers have went to hell and his game as a whole has been exposed.If you build a team around guys like that not only do you have a high payroll, but you can expect to be a late lotto team for a long damn time.

I feel Brand would be a good, free ('cept the amnesty bid) PF scorer off the bench or starting. I get that he is not incredible, but IMO serviceable and provides post scoring, a desperate need even if he only plays 10 mpg.

No Chandler is not becoming a bad contract. Give the man some time before you judge. IMO he will be integrated into the Nugs ONLY after an offseason. I view him as a role player and defensive specialist with some offense to keep the D honest. He can play 2, 3, and 4 but I view him as the perfect stretch 4. He can defend post players, but they are not usually quick enough to hang with Wil. 6.4 mil is a steal and its less than many comparable players. I mean... Ariza, Matthews, Childress are all making more money. Tony Allen makes less money, but most players at Chandler's level are making more money.

I agree they are having money issues, but a signed and traded McGee and adding Chandler is not going to solve their problems, the 2 of them combined will end up making much more then Horford, which could cause them to lose Josh Smith. You spend a paragraph + some talking about their money problems, and then continue to say they should do a deal where they will end up adding $3-4 million a year in payroll for 2 guys who are not really worth the money for an already bloated payroll.

The two combined would make just more than Horford. Horford is making 12 by some reports and 13+ by others. If McGee gets 10m (he wont) then the hawks would have an extra 4m between 2 players. I see McGee getting a 5yr/42m contract. 8.4m on average. Anyway, I dont really want Horford if we have to give up pieces.

Maybe you missed it earlier, but guys like Dalembert and and Kwame Brown get 7-8 million a year, guys like deandre Jordan get $10.5. Even with the mental issues, Javalle puts up much better numbers then Jordan ever has, McGee is a better overall player, is bigger and more athletic, and has been a full time starter for 2 years, now what makes you think that he is going to get less then Jordan got? McGee will sign a contract for at least $10.5 million a year this next summer, saying he will get less then $8 is ludicrous and not based on reality.

Now, remind yourself of the FA suitors this past summer. NY, GSW, and HOU were all desperate for a big man. GSW... NY... desperate teams imo. Look with your eyes bro, its right in front of you! Deandre's 11M and Kwame's 8M were BOTH offers by GSW. The Nets, another desperate team drove up the price of all these players by offering to pay Nene tons of money. GSW and the Nets created a slippery slope. If Nene is worth 4/64 to the nets then every big's agent will use that to drive up the price. I see hibbert being this guy, but to a much lesser extent. Also, Kwame and Dal were overpaid for the right to be signed to a 1yr deal (t.o. for Damembert)

The possible destinations this summer are better for the Nuggets. I could see Portland, Houston, Dallas, Boston, Cleve, Sac, Indy and Miluakee trying to sign him. Portland wants a PG, so there goes their cap room. Indy has Hibbert, so no need for McGee. Sac has Cousins at C, although he has played PF before, so they are not too much of a threat. Cleveland has Varejao, but he is getting old. Boston is a threat. Dallas is a threat and so is Houston. I still dont see any of these three teams of the nuggets offering more than 8 million per year. Maybe Houston, but honestly Dalembert is a better defender than McGee and at 6.7M next year its a good contract. It depends on Dragic, so if we just sign McGee asap, rather than wait for an offer and decide to match, we will get a better deal in the 7-9M/yr range imo.

How long do you think it takes Chandler to become a bad contract? $6 million per year for a guy putting up 10.7, 6, and 2 on horrible shooting percentages and that has had his numbers drop considerably since leaving the D'antoni system?

He wont be. He is a good utility player making barely more than Birdman, how can you not see this. You think that because he did not live up to expectations he is a bad contract? I dont see it. I see a good, not great, player making less than an old MLE contract like Harrington, Gooden etc.

trading a Small forward that has missed at least 20+ games in 3 of the last 4 years, and is not all that good for a 15 and 9.5 pf that has been playing out of position at center for the last few years is asinine? I know the Gallo hype is in full effect but reality is he is worth more in trade then he is to any actual team with him on their roster. the guy is slated to miss the rest of this season which puts him at half the season missed, and an average of 27 games missed per season, for that he gets $10.5 million a year. Add in the fact the guy only puts up 15 ppg (for a supposed good scorer) and is basically average at everything else, and where does he get such immense value? I would trade him for a very good big any day of the week, to hold onto him until he becomes a bad contract is what is asinine.

How convenient that you trash Gallo's health and ignore his TS% while you ignore Horford's health and highlight his TS%. Ironic, no? Also, you must note that Gallinari would miss less games this season if the schedule was normal. There were more games per week if you catch my drift, so Gallo would miss more per week of injury this year. Gallo does the little things very well. His D, passing, stealing and ball security are all pretty good. He scores as efficiently as anyone and draws fouls on the other team. Yes, he should be taking more shots, but he is a team player first. Trading him would be dumb. He is already a top SF. Who would you rather have Gallo, Gay, Melo, Granger or Deng. Gallo is the youngest of that group and IMO his D, passing and IQ set him apart. He might be the third best SF in the game behind LBJ and KD.

Since you like to be a condescending douche, I will be too... "Anybody with real knowledge about basketball" would think that trading Gallinari for Horford is a bad trade. (btw, its OF not ABOUT). Anybody with real knowledge of basketball understands that is is **** reckless to cite the TS% of one player but not the other, and to simultaneously harp endlessly on one player's health even though the other one is injured for the whole god damn year!!!

[The Rebel]

Horford is a meh player? A guy who puts up 15 and 9.5 with a ts% of 58.7% with solid defense at 25 years old is a meh player? I think most basketball people would love to have a less injury prone better version of Nene, add in the fact that Horford has always done it on a much slower paced system then Nene has ever played in and Horford is a much better version. Anybody with real knowledge about basketball does not see a guy who puts up those kind of numbers as a meh center, not to mention he is actually a PF, that has been playing out of position.

Thats pretty MEH, I know he puts up great numbers but he is the best role player in basketball and not much more. I would much rather trade for Millsap than Al Horford. Horford has no upside, dont try and sell it like he does. Nene is a better post scorer than Horford, which IMO is our biggest need at pf/c. Horford is a very, very nice mid range shooter, but the guy needs to be assisted a ton to score as efficiently as he does. Awfully convenient that you didnt mention the number of games Horford played in this year... Also if he is a PF playing at C, then he would still be a PF out of position starting next to Faried.

sure Horford is a role player, but what do you think Gallo is? As for no upside, how is it a guy who has been in the NBA 5 years missing most of his 5th year has no upside, but a guy who has been in the league 4 years has a ton of upside? hell there is nothing to say that Gallinari's injuries especially his back do not start to affect him long term, and his upside and career become very limited.

As for being a jump shooter, I will agree, and I also agree that a guy with a back to the basket game is mandatory, but a team needs both, a big who can pull a defender outside of the paint a few feet, and a guy who can punish teams in the paint, right now they have neither. Meanwhile you have Gallo who is a solid player, but he is basically average at everything but scoring where he is just above average, he is a 15 ppg scorer as the supposed primary option, there are plenty of those guys around that can play SF, and do not cost a fortune while sitting on the bench. Horford is a step in the right direction, I would much rather have a good big on both ends, as opposed to a good sf, small forwards are much easier to find, and much less important to winning teams.

Now I hope you are joking by saying Horford would be the starting center next to Faried, I wish I was half as sold as everybody else is on Faried. He was said to be one of the most NBA ready players in the draft, with limited upside, and I can see where that came from. Not to mention the guy is a piss poor defender, sure he gets the highlight plays on both ends, but when our guards and small forwards are constantly trying to protect the paint because all our bigs suck at it, then I would not say a single big was guaranteed to be the starter next week, let alone next year.

As for Brand, are you kidding me? He is an 11 and 7.5 player with a ts% of 51.8% (55% is considered average), and his defense is mediocre at best. The guy is past done, and is not worth signing to a contract. As for McGee and Chandler, neither one of them are all that good, and the fact of the matter is that I would not even resign mcgee for the contract he is likely to get this year, he sucks on defense, really is not all that good on offense, and is overrated because he can block shots. Chandler at this point is beginning to look borderline overpaid at this point, even only making $6 million a year, if anything his value has tanked since the Melo deal last year, since his numbers have went to hell and his game as a whole has been exposed.If you build a team around guys like that not only do you have a high payroll, but you can expect to be a late lotto team for a long damn time.

I feel Brand would be a good, free ('cept the amnesty bid) PF scorer off the bench or starting. I get that he is not incredible, but IMO serviceable and provides post scoring, a desperate need even if he only plays 10 mpg.

Brand is not exactly servicable this year, and you think the Nuggets need to spend money to bring in a guy for a year, that is not a long term fit, and is not a difference maker. What makes you think the Nuggets are going to waste money like that? what makes you think it is worth the effort? And why is he a good fit on a young team?

No Chandler is not becoming a bad contract. Give the man some time before you judge. IMO he will be integrated into the Nugs ONLY after an offseason. I view him as a role player and defensive specialist with some offense to keep the D honest. He can play 2, 3, and 4 but I view him as the perfect stretch 4. He can defend post players, but they are not usually quick enough to hang with Wil. 6.4 mil is a steal and its less than many comparable players. I mean... Ariza, Matthews, Childress are all making more money. Tony Allen makes less money, but most players at Chandler's level are making more money.

After an offseason? Why is it that he should get a full offseason to prove he is not that good? The Nuggets system especially on offense is not that hard to learn. this guy is overated for some damn reason, and it shows now that he is out of d'antoni's offense. Add in the injuries and the horrific playoff series he had last year and I would dump him by the draft, for whatever I could get.

As for the players you are comparing him to, Ariza and Childress are both considered bad contracts by most knowledgable fans, and Mathews is still living off the hype of last year, another bad year like this and nobody will want him either. fact is when you are on a fast paced team that emphasizes your supposed strengths on defense and allows you freedom on offense, it should not take a full offseason to figure it out, if it does then he is too damn stupid to have on the floor then.

I agree they are having money issues, but a signed and traded McGee and adding Chandler is not going to solve their problems, the 2 of them combined will end up making much more then Horford, which could cause them to lose Josh Smith. You spend a paragraph + some talking about their money problems, and then continue to say they should do a deal where they will end up adding $3-4 million a year in payroll for 2 guys who are not really worth the money for an already bloated payroll.

The two combined would make just more than Horford. Horford is making 12 by some reports and 13+ by others. If McGee gets 10m (he wont) then the hawks would have an extra 4m between 2 players. I see McGee getting a 5yr/42m contract. 8.4m on average. Anyway, I dont really want Horford if we have to give up pieces.

How much do you think the hawks will have to spend on another big? if they kept Horford they would only have to add a 4th big and those cost about the minimum these days.

Maybe you missed it earlier, but guys like Dalembert and and Kwame Brown get 7-8 million a year, guys like deandre Jordan get $10.5. Even with the mental issues, Javalle puts up much better numbers then Jordan ever has, McGee is a better overall player, is bigger and more athletic, and has been a full time starter for 2 years, now what makes you think that he is going to get less then Jordan got? McGee will sign a contract for at least $10.5 million a year this next summer, saying he will get less then $8 is ludicrous and not based on reality.

Now, remind yourself of the FA suitors this past summer. NY, GSW, and HOU were all desperate for a big man. GSW... NY... desperate teams imo. Look with your eyes bro, its right in front of you! Deandre's 11M and Kwame's 8M were BOTH offers by GSW. The Nets, another desperate team drove up the price of all these players by offering to pay Nene tons of money. GSW and the Nets created a slippery slope. If Nene is worth 4/64 to the nets then every big's agent will use that to drive up the price. I see hibbert being this guy, but to a much lesser extent. Also, Kwame and Dal were overpaid for the right to be signed to a 1yr deal (t.o. for Damembert)

The possible destinations this summer are better for the Nuggets. I could see Portland, Houston, Dallas, Boston, Cleve, Sac, Indy and Miluakee trying to sign him. Portland wants a PG, so there goes their cap room. Indy has Hibbert, so no need for McGee. Sac has Cousins at C, although he has played PF before, so they are not too much of a threat. Cleveland has Varejao, but he is getting old. Boston is a threat. Dallas is a threat and so is Houston. I still dont see any of these three teams of the nuggets offering more than 8 million per year. Maybe Houston, but honestly Dalembert is a better defender than McGee and at 6.7M next year its a good contract. It depends on Dragic, so if we just sign McGee asap, rather than wait for an offer and decide to match, we will get a better deal in the 7-9M/yr range imo.

You can add the Nets to the list, if they miss out on Howard they have to rebuild, and what better way then a young big with a high ceiling, and a dumb ass doing the signing? Portland desperately needs a big to pair with aldridge, the Kings need a shotblocker to put next to cousins and they have the cap room to throw the max at a guy next year, Milwaukee needs a young big, the Rockets still need a center, Dallas wants a shotblocker, boston has plenty of money. Cleveland wants another big. it only takes one team to overpay a big, as shown by GS last year. Personally I would not want the guy back for free next year, but there are plenty of teams, and plenty of bad Gms always willing to overpay for bigs that put up stats.

How long do you think it takes Chandler to become a bad contract? $6 million per year for a guy putting up 10.7, 6, and 2 on horrible shooting percentages and that has had his numbers drop considerably since leaving the D'antoni system?

He wont be. He is a good utility player making barely more than Birdman, how can you not see this. You think that because he did not live up to expectations he is a bad contract? I dont see it. I see a good, not great, player making less than an old MLE contract like Harrington, Gooden etc.

40-50% more is not barely more then something, which is how much more chandler is making then Birdman, who's contract at the time made good sense as he was a very good 3rd big, making much less then the average 3rd big around the league. Maybe you missed it, but bigs make much more then SFs that is how things go in the NBA. the fact that you have to compare Chandler to players on the old MLE and a guy who has declined and had injury problems the last couple of years to just shows his lack of value, the owners went after the MLE because most of the signings under the old MLE were viewed as bad contracts. by the way the contract chandler signed is only about $2 million less overall then the MLE was in 2010. Given his horrible production since becoming a Nugget once again I would dump him now, before teams around the league forget about his NY production.

trading a Small forward that has missed at least 20+ games in 3 of the last 4 years, and is not all that good for a 15 and 9.5 pf that has been playing out of position at center for the last few years is asinine? I know the Gallo hype is in full effect but reality is he is worth more in trade then he is to any actual team with him on their roster. the guy is slated to miss the rest of this season which puts him at half the season missed, and an average of 27 games missed per season, for that he gets $10.5 million a year. Add in the fact the guy only puts up 15 ppg (for a supposed good scorer) and is basically average at everything else, and where does he get such immense value? I would trade him for a very good big any day of the week, to hold onto him until he becomes a bad contract is what is asinine.

How convenient that you trash Gallo's health and ignore his TS% while you ignore Horford's health and highlight his TS%. Ironic, no? Also, you must note that Gallinari would miss less games this season if the schedule was normal. There were more games per week if you catch my drift, so Gallo would miss more per week of injury this year. Gallo does the little things very well. His D, passing, stealing and ball security are all pretty good. He scores as efficiently as anyone and draws fouls on the other team. Yes, he should be taking more shots, but he is a team player first. Trading him would be dumb. He is already a top SF. Who would you rather have Gallo, Gay, Melo, Granger or Deng. Gallo is the youngest of that group and IMO his D, passing and IQ set him apart. He might be the third best SF in the game behind LBJ and KD.

I said he was a good shooter, but let's not act like he is going to be automatically health in a longer season, the season is what it is, making more excuses is just sad. as for gallo doing the little things well, I would hope a role player getting paid $10.5 million a season could do the little things pretty well, but what the hell, it ain't my money. Now Sf I would take over Gallo, I would easily take Melo, durant, and Lebron over Gallo, so there is your 3, add in Iguodala and Deng i would also take Pierce for this year and probably next, add in the injury problems and I would take Batum as well, so there are 7, and Gay is arguable as well. by the way can you tell me when the last time a team won a championship with a SF as their best player?

Honestly I don't know which is worse arguing that chandler is a great value despite his horrible play and lack of production in Denver, Faried is a good enough starter to force a 2 time all star out of his natural position, or trying to argue that Galinari is a top 3 sf. I am almost wondering how long you have been watching basketball.

Since you like to be a condescending douche, I will be too... "Anybody with real knowledge about basketball" would think that trading Gallinari for Horford is a bad trade. (btw, its OF not ABOUT). Anybody with real knowledge of basketball understands that is is **** reckless to cite the TS% of one player but not the other, and to simultaneously harp endlessly on one player's health even though the other one is injured for the whole god damn year!!!

LOL, funny when you start resort to name calling. and you want to talk about injuries still while Gallo is out nursing a broken finger on his off hand? by the way anybody correcting grammar should be careful of calling people douches. And just so you know admitting that one player is a good scorer while not digging their stats out is not being reckless, It is conceding that he is a good scorer and there is really nothing to argue about there.

Now you want to talk about injuries we can do that, especially given this situation. One player being out for the whole year having missed an average of 5.5 games a season every other of his 4 years, and the other player misses on average a 3rd of the season every year. One had a freak injury that should have no long term effects, the other has had numerous injuries (including a major back surgery), that he appears to nurse until he is 100%. both appear to be out for the year, the difference is one has a torn pectoral muscle and he may be back early from it(trying to make the playoffs). The other has missed almost a month already with a broken finger on his off hand (some players actually have played through similar injuries) and there are rumors he may miss the entire season. Now which one sounds like injuries are going to be a long term problem?