Nuggets Aiming to Find More Defensive Help on Wing

The Nuggets are aiming to get back-to-back league MVP Nikola Jokic some more help, by perhaps trading for another player at the guard/forward positions, per Sam Amick of The Athletic.

The Nuggets are looking to get “longer, more athletic, versatile, defensive-minded, and bigger” at the wing ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline, Amick wrote — with the “dream scenario” being to find a player similar to Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon.

Basically, it sounds as if the Nuggets would like to find a player to capably and consistently relieve Gordon, who is having a career season and logging a lot of minutes.

Granted, what the Nuggets wish for and what they can actually do might be two different things entirely, as noted by Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors. Only six players on the roster earn more than $5 million annually, likely making it difficult to find matching salary in a deal for a player on their wish list.

“Denver could potentially acquire a mid-level type player by building a package around Ish Smith and his $4.7MM expiring salary,” Adams noted.