The Denver Nuggets are in for some major retooling this offseason following a disappointing first round playoff exit.
Led by arguably the best player in basketball, the Nuggets can ill-afford to make questionable decisions; it’s all about assembling the right pieces around Nikola Jokic.
With Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown at the center of the NBA rumor mill, it is worth wondering what the Nuggets, who are in a need of wing starpower, would have to surrender to acquire Brown’s services.
What Would it Take to Land Jaylen Brown on the Denver Nuggets
GettyABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – OCTOBER 04: Jaylen Brown of Boston Celtics runs with the ball during the NBA match between Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics at Etihad Arena on October 04, 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)
The Nuggets have been fighting to get back to what they were four seasons ago when they took the NBA world by storm and won an NBA championship. Since then, it has been a cluster of early postseason exits. But that could change if Denver manages to pull off a trade for Brown.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Nuggets reporter Jared Koch, Denver could negotiate a Brown deal for a trade package revolving around Jamal Murray and another player to match salaries.
“It feels like there’s only two truly realistic routes that the Nuggets could make a Brown deal happen with the Celtics,” Koch wrote, “and neither of which would be a surefire guarantee that Boston would be interested to strike a deal: Essentially a one-for-one player swap of Brown and Jamal Murray, that would also need a salary filler on the Nuggets’ side — potentially Zeke Nnaji — to make happen. You’d also have to assume that Denver throws some minor draft capital as well.”
For Denver, shaking hands with Murray, a crucial piece in the Nuggets’ run to the championship, would be a tough pill to swallow. But Murray is coming off a career year and his first All-Star appearance, which presumably puts his trade value the highest it has ever been.
Jokic and Murray have been arguably the NBA’s most powerful duo for several seasons; breaking up a pairing like that is often not the way, but it is something the Denver front office should consider after three straight early playoff exits.
How Would Denver’s Dynamic Change With Brown?
GettyABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – OCTOBER 06: Jaylen Brown of Boston Celtics speaks to Nikola Jokic of Denver Nuggets during the NBA match between Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets at Etihad Arena on October 06, 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)
It would certainly be more ideal to pair Brown with Jokic and Murray, creating what could be the most dominant trio in the league. But to capture a player like Brown, a five-time All-Star who’s fresh off an MVP-caliber campaign, conversations would likely only start if Denver includes Murray in a deal. (Jokic is off the table, of course.)
Even if the Nuggets lose Murray to add Brown, there are reasons to believe Denver would get noticeably better next season.
Brown is roughly the same age as Murray but considered the better player by a considerable margin. The 29-year-old Boston star is a premium two-way player who would instantly boost any team’s ceiling.
Delivering Jokic a player like Brown could take the Nuggets back over the hump, though there are plenty of legitimate reasons to question if the Nuggets could build out a strong enough top-to-bottom roster that could keep pace with the Oklahoma City’s and San Antonio’s of the world.
Brown has become the hottest commodity on the trade market in the fallout of the Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster. While there are no reports of the Nuggets’ interest in Brown, no scenario should be dismissed in today’s NBA.
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