The impending trade of JaMychal Green to the Thunder portends a very busy summer for the Nuggets, Mike Singer of the Denver Post writes.
Denver is intent on maximizing Nikola Jokic‘s prime years, so the fact that the team now has two first-rounders in this year’s draft suggests more moves are coming. It’s unlikely two rookies would have an immediate impact on a team with championship aspirations.
With Jamal Murray returning this season, Monte Morris could be moved. He has an affordable contract and has generated significant interest around the league, a source told Singer. Alternatively, the Nuggets might consider moving Bones Hyland for a much-needed defensive wing player.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- If Denver holds onto the No. 21 pick or trades up in the draft, which wings might interest the front office as it looks to improve the team defensively? Singer lists a handful of wing prospects, including Duke’s AJ Griffin and Ohio State’s E.J. Liddell.
- University of Memphis forward Josh Minott visited the Jazz and that’s significant, given where Minott is projected to go in the draft, according to Sarah Todd of the Deseret News. Most of the prospects the Jazz have worked out are projected as late second-round selections at best. In contrast, Minott is expected to go higher in the second round and could even sneak into the first round. He’s rated as the No. 46 prospect on ESPN’s Best Available list. Utah doesn’t currently have a draft pick.
- Andrew Wiggins followed the footsteps of Kevin Garnett and Kevin Love by winning an NBA championship after being dealt by the Timberwolves in a high-profile trade, Patrick Reusse of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes. Reusse seeks out opinions from several sources as to why Wiggins has excelled with Golden State after underperforming with Minnesota.
Clear leadership makes all the difference in the world to a player that craves/needs it. Then there are players who will always defy authority. It’s in their nature. Wiggins likely is the later. Steve Kerr is smart enough to know when to back off and after giving him the tools. Little nudges are better for the later type.
Wiggins is not that defiant. In Minnesota it was said he had no heart. You can make a connection if you want between these two descriptors, but they are separate things. He was examined from a distance— analyzed like any fan base knows their invested star. “Indifferent”
Now everyone says he learned and is better. NO he still lacks heart because there is little to do about that. He is better because his employer is better and his learning is valuable only to GSW. He is not a better player overall.
If GSW wants to pay him like he can carry a franchise— they’re rich, whatever, and have bird rights. For wing, I would trust the quality of their high draft picks, not dreamed but gotten— Wiseman, Kuminga, Moody. Then find a big they can live with— they will burn out Draymond.
Nobody in the warrior franchise has said he can carry the team. They have said the exact opposite in he fits the team by not being the #1 guy on the team. The pressure of letting Curry be the team lead and him as a third option lets him play at his pace.
They will not be paying him more than what he is getting now. I more see them letting him go on the market and see what other teams offer.
Wiggins fair market value is
3-year extension $82 million
Compared to DeMar DeRozan
Tradable contract
Fmv in open mkt?? So many less guys get paid 4 yrs 120m …. Hayward, horford on and on. Wiggins is entering his prime, still very young at 26. He’s eligible for 5 yr 233m extension.
Agree arc2— he fits as a modern wing, a less controlling role.
Wiggins is presumably a good guy.
The linked article is good, free, and short. It could be expanded and probably will be. But it does not use the harsher words of a frustrated Wolves fan, like I did. Poole goes at it like a shorter Wiggins was supposed to— Probably the yougsters will too— a better organization.
being a #1 pick made people think he was going to be the franchise player which he is not. Good player and boarder line all star but not the franchise player. T-wolves fans must be frustrated in seeing how many players been with the team to just go on and become better players. If a team out bids GSW when he is a free agent I can guarantee they will over pay him and expect him to carry a team.
Happy to see Wiggins become the guy he was projected to be. Hope he continues to thrive next year and beyond.
Wiggins have 35 rebounds final 3 games
A 197 pounds player plays like 297 pounds player
Warriors 3 consecutive wins over
Mavs
Celtics
All 6 games are not closed
Wiggins got into a much different team atmosphere with GS. He wasn’t the poster boy or the gem that was going to lead them. He was allowed to use his talents to fit into the GS scheme and has become an integral part of their team. Hopefully GS keeps him.
I’m interested to see what Calvin Booth does here. I’ve always liked JyM Green as a player, but the trade was a good move. It eliminated at least some of the PF clutter and the accompanying salary/tax. It also gives him some picks he can use as trade assets (his own couldn’t be traded for 5 years).
Now the hard part; identifying the existing players that can work as trade assets. Hyland is a guy I’d move for anything of value. Morris is a hold if possible, but can’t be taken off the table. They need bigger more physical wings, SF, or combo F, types, not sub-200 lb SG’s or combo G’s. No immediate starter at SF is likely coming from the draft, but they should get a young guy who fits that profile, as they need a few of them, or leave the draft with some more trade assets going into the summer.
The Stepien Rule thing (can’t trade 1st round picks in consecutive years) is basically irrelevant for the current year’s pick. Teams can, and often do, trade a guy selected on behalf of another team shortly after the draft.
Monte Morris got fulltime minutes and did not slide, but was less of a fit as the starter. Before, he could come in and stun the opponent with pace. As a starter he is accurate but about average. He seems smart and under the radar by preference, but an HR article hinted he had some demand.
Hyland stuns by surprise launches lol. He makes though. #7 in minutes; per36′, 19-5-5.
Good point about Booth’s trading motivation, making an asset more easily tradeable, since he had no picks to offer.
The Stepien rule can be overcome, but still requires another team’s cooperation, so Denver’s own picks are less liquid alone.
Jym.Green did have an off-year (or a slump?). But it seemed an odd trade until considering the “dirty details”.
@seam: Yes but prior to the trade he was limited to this year’s pick (2022) plus 2027 (too remote). Now he has two 1sts (2022) and two additional 2nds (2023 and 2024) he can trade on draft day, and if any of those trades yield future 1st, he can trade that. I expect they leave draft day with a future 1st. He’ll also have either a TPE from the Green trade or the ability to roll the Green trade into another trade permitting him to take back 125% of Green’s salary. Important is he’s trading a low salary player (Hyland) and/or picks for a higher salary one.
I see Wiggins being the Alpha for a few years of he stays in GSW they will prepare him.
Wiggins hasn’t ever displayed that killer instinct. He can put up numbers through extra effort. However, he doesn’t seem to have that obsessive focus that guys like Jordan, Kobe, and guys like Stockton and Lebron have at times. Stockton is a guy that was always so focused that trash talkers couldn’t even get a response from him. Lol
Wiggins just seems like a chill dude that is too nice to be an alpha scorer. Although, he could be a Sigma personality. That means he could sparked at times by alphas trying to bully his team. Look up Sigma Males to see what I’m talking about.