PMOTT3 and Chuck Texas Early Off-Season Review: Denver Nuggets

[Texas Chuck]

Chuck Texas' Review:

Losses:

Lawson
Gee
Arthur
Franklin

Ty Lawson is a major talent loss, but all things considered this should be addition by subtraction.

Draft:

Emanuel Mudiay
Nikola Radicivec

Mudiay was great value at #7 and he has star potential something the Nuggets are in desperate need of.


Trades:

Lawson & future 2nd for protected HOU 1st, Popanikolau, Johnson, Dorsey, and Prigs

Look the value just wasn't there for Lawson. All things considered some money savings and a late 1 was worth it just to get Lawson off the team. In retrospect they should have dealt him last summer or at the deadline, but what can you do?

Free Agency:


Gallo extension
Chandler extension
Jameer Nelson
Will Barton
Jokic

The extensions to Gallo and Chandler are confusing particularly Chandler. The value is fine considering other deals that got signed, but what's the point of expensive role players on a bottom-feeder especially if you are dealing Lawson. Would much rather have seen them move them at the deadline for an asset to teams looking to make a strong push.

I mean they probably need a guy like Nelson to mentor Mudiay, but feels like an overpay considering what some more effective PG's got. But still he's a quality guy, can knock down shots, and will provide leadership. Don't hate it really.

I just don't like Barton. I don't think he's good and I don't understand this offer. Why not sell space for an asset instead since this is a lost year.

don't know enough about Jokic to say.



Current Depth Chart (super rough):

PG: Mudiay/Nelson/Green
SG: Foye/Harris/Johnson
SF: Chandler/Barton
PF: Gallinari/Faried/Lauvergne
C: Nurkic/Hickson/Jokic/Dorsey

Needs:

They need top end talent. Give as many minutes to Mudiay and Nurkic as they can handle. They are the future. Also would like to see them figure out how to best make use of Gallo, Faried, and Chandler. Lots of money now tied up in 3 players all of whom feel like they should be the 4th starter on a playoff team.

Additional Thoughts:

I'd suggest selling players, but with the extensions given that seems both harder and less likely now. Maybe you could find a taker on Faried, but I'm not sure he brings much back. I'd play the kids as much as possible, be cautious with any injuries and look for small value deals where you can get them.

Win/Loss Prediction: 25-57

Just not enough talent to compete in the West. Only one real center and he's still quite young. Mudiay has to be huge for him this year and that's a ton of pressure for a guy whose never played high-level competition. Your three most experienced quality guys all kinda play the same position in Gallo, Faried, and Chandler. Roster is imbalanced. Should be a very long year.

Off-Season Grade: C-

I hated the free agency moves really. But Mudiay was a huge get and getting rid of Lawson was huge. But it still looks like a team not willing to commit to a plan or a direction. It feels like they trade talent away in one deal, then give assets to dump salary, then make really odd choices with the money. Go win-now or go rebuild(this one!!!) but this odd mix of both is getting them nowhere.

PMOTT3' s Review:

Losses:

Lawson
Gee
Arthur
Franklin

Nothing huge here other than Lawson

Draft:

Emanuel Mudiay
Nikola Radicivec

I felt like Mudiay belonged in the tier 1 prospects along with KAT, Russell, and Okafor. So to be able to get him at #7 was a huuuuge steal. On the same level of steal as Winslow falling to #10.

Nikola looks to be a euro stash.

Trades:

Lawson & future 2nd for protected HOU 1st, Popanikolau, Johnson, Dorsey, and Prigs

I dont think this is the return that Nuggets fans had in mind. Bottom line is Denver got too greedy and i feel very confident that they got better trade calls for Lawson than this package on draft night. Amazing that they actually gave up a 2nd to the Rockets in this deal as well.

Free Agency:

New HC Mike Malone
Gallo (extension for 2/$34)
Chandler (extension for 4/$46)
Jameer Nelson
Will Barton
Brought over Euro prospect Jokic

Really liked the Malone hiring and felt he deserved another shot at a coaching gig.

Paying 4.5 mil per year for Jameer Nelson seems like a slight overpay. His vet saavy presence is valuable but his on court play/production seems to be decreasing each season.

Barton is just a guy to me but at least they didn't overpay.

Bringing over Euro prospect Jokic was a good move. Denver is in a position where they need to evaluate the kind of talent they have.

I dont get the Gallinari & Chandler extensions at all. Gallinari has suffered a lot of injury set backs in his career so paying him all that cash could just become dead money. Also, why extend their contracts in the first place? Shouldn't the goal be to trade them for future assets/prospects and open up more PT for all the young guns and earn a higher lottery draft pick? I just don't get it.

Current Depth Chart (super rough):

PG: Nelson/Mudiay/Green
SG: Foye/Harris/Johnson
SF: Chandler/Barton/Lauvergne
PF: Gallinari/Hickson/Popanikolau
C: Faried/Nurkic/Jokic/Dorsey

Needs:

There's no point in pointing out holes on the roster for a team that isn't going to be a threat or seriously competing in the west. Their biggest need is to develop their young guys and add future assets & prospects. Finding their next young star (Mudiay?) is a pretty high need as well.

Additional Thoughts:

Denver is in a position where they really need to go full tank mode. Make some Sam Hinkie-style trades, sell cap space for future assets, trade win now players for younger prospects, etc. I dont get the sense that they are doing any of that and it sorta feels like they are trying to balance winning and semi tanking.

Win/Loss Prediction: 33-49

Off-Season Grade: B-

I didn't understand the Gallo/Chandler extensions and the Lawson trade didn't bring back a good return at all. However, they had an excellent draft getting Mudiay and i loved bringing over Malone as the new HC. Definitely some things i liked and didn't like but the Mudiay acquisition alone should net them in a B range imo.

[Laimbeer]

C.

Lawson was really damaged goods and his drop in value was beyond their control. Loved the Mudiay pick and it makes the Lawson move seem better. Chandler and Gallo seemed pricey, though.

[bondom34]

I think a C is about right. Mudiay was great value, I don't really like any of the extensions, Barton's OK, and they just got bit with Lawson. They waited too long IMO but that's not really from the offseason, I thought they should have done that earlier.

[Mr. E]

This has been a rough offseason for the Nuggets. I am treating the Lawson situation as an anomaly so I'm not going to judge them too harshly for the return they received. They had to move on, they did and took the best package available.

I'm on the fence with the extensions. It is smart to keep some solid, veteran players around when you're turning the focus of the team to a young player. On that level I like those moves for those guys; but those are some hefty contracts.

Perhaps in the new CBA they wouldn't be difficult to move if Denver chose to do so (which I believe they should by the trade deadline or next offseason).

I'll go with a C+ The plus comes from their swift resolution to the Lawson situation rather than allowing it to become a distraction. History shows that they had already waited too long for too much. It was smart of them to move swiftly once the problem got out of hand.

[bondom34]

This has been a rough offseason for the Nuggets. I am treating the Lawson situation as an anomaly so I'm not going to judge them too harshly for the return they received. They had to move on, they did and took the best package available.

I'm on the fence with the extensions. It is smart to keep some solid, veteran players around when you're turning the focus of the team to a young player. On that level I like those moves for those guys; but those are some hefty contracts.

Perhaps in the new CBA they wouldn't be difficult to move if Denver chose to do so (which I believe they should by the trade deadline or next offseason).

I'll go with a C+ The plus comes from their swift resolution to the Lawson situation rather than allowing it to become a distraction. History shows that they had already waited too long for too much. It was smart of them to move swiftly once the problem got out of hand.

Oh, be honest, the plus comes because you guys got a steal .

[Texas Chuck]

Update: Arthur re-signs. Decent player, but another move that is confusing. They already had too many guys who are best suited to play PF.

[sonictecture]

In the off season review for Houston the acquisition of Lawson is well regarded as getting a talented player for little cost and here in the Denver review Lawson is viewed as a net loss player that had to be traded. The big question that few seem to be asking is did Lawson have to be traded?

Why didn't Denver give Lawson one more chance and negotiate the last year of his deal as non-guaranteed as Houston did?

If Lawson can play alongside Harden, then he should be able to play alongside Mudiay. Is Denver better or worse with a healthy Lawson? The answer clearly seems to be better, so trading him at his lowest point would seem to be a horrible move. The risk in keeping him seems to be minimal, especially with a re-nogitated non-guaranteed year.

You guys struggle to put a starting line up together for Denver, but still the organization gets a passing grade?

The grade here is F. They failed on multiple levels and this is a continuation of previous off season failures.

[loserX]

Why didn't Denver give Lawson one more chance and negotiate the last year of his deal as non-guaranteed as Houston did?

With what leverage? Houston was able to negotiate based on the fact that if Lawson said no, he was going to be stuck in Denver, a place he did not want to be. All Denver would be able to say if they kept him is "give up your guaranteed year, or else we'll have to pay you!" which isn't much of a carrot

As to the thread:
The Mudiay pick is a plus...they got top-5 value at #7, and as the OP mentions they really need a high-upside guy.

They didn't get good value on the Lawson trade but he really needed to go. His value was more negative to Denver than it was to Houston.

As for the extensions/signings: Jameer was paid too much. It's entirely possible that they knew Lawson was going to get moved so they needed Jameer, but I still think it's an overpay.

The Gallo extension is high-risk, but at least there's some potential reward there. *If* he gets his health and his game back, he's a useful guy who should help Mudiay grow.

The Chandler extension I'm not so high on because he doesn't have the reward Gallo does. He's useful and that's about it.

[sonictecture]

It's been a while since players were kicked out of the league for substance abuse, but aren't those rules still in play, even for alcohol? Doesn't that give Denver leverage? If not it seems like striking Lawson as he's entering rehab and is at his lowest point as a human being is also a bit of leverage. Perhaps Lawson's alcohol abuse had something to do with his not wanting to stay in Denver? A sober Lawson might have been just fine staying in Denver.