Five under-the-radar free agents the Nuggets should target

December 2, 2011
by Kalen

Leading up to Dec. 9 when free agency officially begins there will be constant speculation regarding who the Nuggets might be eying in this year’s class. Names like Marc Gasol, Tyson Chandler and Jamal Crawford have been floated around for months, but chances are none of these guys actually end up on the Nuggets roster before the upcoming season kicks of on Christmas Day. Naturally, it’s always beneficial to have a backup plan. So without further ado, here are five free agents nobody is talking about that could end up playing a major roll on the Nuggets this year if signed.

1. Gary Forbes

I know this probably comes as a surprise to many — and that’s exactly the point I’m trying to make. Over the summer we’ve talked ad nauseam about Nene, Afflalo, Chandler, J.R. Smith and Kenyon Martin, but how often have we ever mentioned Gary Forbes, the guy who played the best basketball of any Nugget not named Faried? Do you remember that 78-point outburst at the Hartford Pro-Am? What about his tournament-high 39 points at the FIBA Americas Championship? And how could we forget his brave FIBA diary in which he chronicled the corrupt nature of Panama’s government and how it affected his basketball team during the tournament? No matter how you slice it, Gary Forbes has won over our hearts with both his play on the court and commitment to humanity off it, yet somehow these outstanding efforts have gone largely unnoticed. Well, I’m hear to announce that this undercurrent of impressive performances will no longer simmer in silence. From here on out, whenever we talk about which free agents the Nuggets need sign, Gary Forbes will be atop the list. Because not only does he want to be here, but he might very well be one of the most underrated free agent in all of basketball considering the progress he displayed in recent months in a addition to his age and versatility. Right now, I can’t think of a better backup to Afflalo, and more importantly, a better teammate for the entire Denver Nuggets squad.

2. Troy Murphy

For quite some time during the Mark Warkentien era, Murphy, along with every other player on the Pacer’s roster, was steadily on the Nuggets’ radar. Rumors of a possible Nuggets-Pacers trade centered around Murphy, and sometimes Jeff Foster, always seemed to be lurking about in one form or another. Eventually Warkentien was fired and Murphy was dealt to several different teams before finally ending up in Boston last year where his role was virtually non-existent. Now an unrestricted free agent, the Nuggets finally have its chance to claim what it had previously desired. Though his numbers last season were underwhelming it’s important to keep in mind that only one year prior to last Murphy was still smack dab in the middle of his prime, averaging 14.6 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. Whatever happened to Murphy in 2010 is anyone’s guess, but at only 31 years of age it would be incredibly premature to write him off as ready to retire; in fact, it would appear that he has quite a lot left in the tank when going off age alone. There will likely be other suitors vying for Murphy’s services, but not many need a veteran center as bad as the Nuggets. In the end, an offer somewhere in the neighborhood of $4 million over two years is a price I’d be willing to pay for a guy who just two seasons ago was one of the top centers in the NBA.

3. Chuck Hayes

One of the more unique players in the league, Chuck Hayes is another perfect fit for the Nuggets. After having an inconsistent last four years with the Rockets, Hayes finally found his stride towards the end of the 2010-11 campaign where in the last month of the season he averaged 10 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and nearly two steals per game. Hayes is the epitome of a blue collar, hard-working, undersized big man who thrives in the towering world of the NBA based solely off his determination and hustle, which is exactly the path Kenneth Faried will likely have to walk in order to be successful too. Why not then, bring in Hayes as a mentor and leader for Faried and the rest of this young Nuggets squad for the next several years? After all, Hayes already has experience as a leader, being that he was the captain of the Rockets in 2009-10 alongside Shane Battier. At only 28 and coming off career highs in every major statistical category except field goal percentage, now is the perfect time to capitalize on an undervalued asset in the free agent market. Because Hayes had such a strong finish to the season last year the Nuggets will likely have to pony-up and pay a bit more in order to secure his services, although I’m confident it would be well worth the investment given his position, age and intangibles. Something in the range of $15 million over three seasons would likely do the job.

4. Joel Przybilla

A long-time member of the division rival, Portland Trailblazers, Joel Przybilla (aka, the Vanilla Gorilla), pestered Nuggets fans for years. His rough, relentless style of play often rubbed opponents the wrong way and earned him the distinction of being seen as one of the best backup centers in all of basketball. Fortunately for the Nuggets, Przybilla was traded out of the division last season to the Charlotte Bobcats where he spiraled into an anonymous abyss largely due to injuries suffered to his right knee. Fortunately for Joel however, the lockout was a blessing in disguise as the extra time away from basketball allowed him to rehabilitate his knee and get healthy for the upcoming season. Recently Przybill was quoted as saying, “I can play. I feel great. This is the best my body has felt in a long, long time.” If this is truly the case, then the Nuggets should thoroughly examine the possibility of extending an offer his way to the tune of $3 million over one year with an option for an addition year should he play well and remain healthy throughout the season. If anyone has a gripe about Przybilla due to age, health or the fact that he was a former division foe, I invite you to revisit the reality that our center position depth currently consists of Timofey Mozgov and Kosta Koufos alone.

5. Marco Belinelli

If, for some reason or another, the Nuggets aren’t able to re-sign Gary Forbes as the backup shooting guard, Marco Belinelli would be another top candidate for the position. Like both Hayes and Forbes, Belinelli is coming off a career year in which he averaged over 10 points per game for the first time during his tenure in the NBA. Although almost entirely one dimensional, Belinelli would still make for an excellent backup as his only dimension is still a coveted asset every team desperately desires: shooting. Last season with the New Orleans Hornets, Belinelli saw by far the most minutes he’d seen in his young career, and as a result, finished top 20 in the NBA for 3-point field goals made as well as 3-point shooting percentage. Adding this type of deadly outside game on top of what we already have in Afflalo would provide the Nuggets with quite possibly the best long-range attack in the entire league, not to mention, it would quickly ease the pain of losing the Nuggets’ all-time best 3-point shooter, J.R. Smith.

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Posted on December 2, 2011 at 4:18 am | filed in Analysis, Rumors | 45 Comments
  • Aaron

    Joel Przybilla Wouldn’t Fit with Denver At All.. Same With Chuck Hayes And Troy Murpghy But I Agree With Forbes And Belinelli.

    • Tommy4daNuggz4ever

      Aaron I agree we need to keep Forbes and Belineli wouldn’t be bad behind Afflalo as usual we are on the same page lol

  • Omar

    yuck kalen yuck……. denver should take a look at thaddeus young and run with gallo at the pf position.

    lawson/miller
    afflalo/forbes
    young/hamilton
    gallinari/faried
    mozgov/koufos

    • http://roundballminingcompany.com Kalen

      Thaddeus Young is a restricted free agent whom the Sixers have already said they’re going to match virtually any offer sent his way. Plus, he plays the small forward position which it not area of need for the Nuggets considering we already have Gallo, Big Al, Jordan Hamilton and maybe ever Wilson Chandler if he comes back. Our more pressing areas of need right now are backup shooting guard and center.

  • Neal

    I like the ideas Kalen. I little grit and effort down low is what we need. How concerned are people about losing Afflalo? ESPN has been putting up a bunch of stuff about how much other teams want him. Do we seriously consider the sign-trade possibilites they mention, or just match any offer sheet not matter how big it is?

    • Kalen

      This is definitely getting interesting on the Afflalo front. We didn’t hear anything forever, then all of a sudden every team in the NBA is coming gout of the woodwork saying they covet him the most next to the big guys? I see no way the Nuggets let Afflalo get away unless it’s on their own accord, aka, a sign-and-trade. The real question is, “What would it take to pry Afflalo away from us?” That’s something I’m sure the Nugget front office will be thinking long and hard about in the coming days because lets be honest, if the Minnesota Timberwolves are involved, things could get crazy.

      • Tommy4daNuggz4ever

        There is a lot of people trying to say they are going to put in offers

  • Tommy4daNuggz4ever

    Kalen on ESPN Rumors they have us listed in interests for Josh Howard any thoughts on that.

  • Tommy4daNuggz4ever

    Kalen Is it true that Afflalo isnt happy with just being a starter on the Nugget? And what kind of s&ts you think that will be offered up or do you think the Nuggets will just out pay other teams

    • Kalen

      To answer both of you questions — first, I don’t know why we’re showing interest in Josh Howard. I like the possibility of taking a chance on him because I think he still has the potential to be a good player, but again, we’re jammed at the small forward position already. Maybe Masai just figures we could land him for a really cheap price considering the upside that’s there.

      As for Afflalo, I don’t understand why he wouldn’t be happy just being a starter. It’s not like he’s some sort of deadly force out there carving through defenses on a nightly basis. I haven’t heard this rumor yet, but if true, all I can say is: Oh well. We still have his rights bottom line, so if he wants to go somewhere else then he’s gotta convince that team to give up a lot for him, which in that case, I might be interested in. But again, everything I’ve heard is that Afflalo is gonna be in Denver long term and that’s OK with him.

      • Tommy4daNuggz4ever

        I am right there with you with Afflalo I can see why he wouldn’t be happy more than likely he will be a Captain this year and for a long time with Denver as long as they do sign him long term which I believe every Nugget fan likes or most of Us probably like.
        As for Josh Howard I was puzzled with this for most of the day and was thinking along the lines as him coming in with potential and veteran experience as well. But like you said the nuggets are deep in SF position who knows I know I have faith in Masai so let’s hope he does a great job in FA as he did in the Draft I know I did a happy dance wheni heard Faried’s named called for us.
        I also want to say that ranking Forbes #1 on the list on this post is great and I really hope to see more of him on the court this year

      • jim

        “My wanting to be better, my lack of satisfaction with just being a starter in this league, I think that’s my best attribute,” Afflalo said. “There’s not a satisfied bone in my body.”

        that the quote from the stein article. i don’t read AT ALL that he is saying he’s not happy being a nugget. he’s saying he’s not satisfied with his game just because he’s an NBA starter. he’s all about getting even better.

        this sounds way different to me than something like nene saying he is disrepected at four yrs/$50 mil.

        • Tommy4daNuggz4ever

          I didn’t see that article but it makes more since now that I read that on instead of the one I did thanks jim for the clarification I was hoping that’s what he meant

  • danuggz4ever

    Does anyone have any ideas on DeAndre Jordan I mean him He would be a great Center or we could even use him as a big PF next to Mozzy and Koufas. I have’nt seen much talk about him anywhere. Is anyone interested in him?

    • Kalen

      Two bigs things with DeAndre: First, he’s restricted and it’s hard to imagine the Clippers letting him walk when he’s such a good fit next to Blake Griffin. Second, I don’t think a lot of people realize how inconsistent he was last year. And I’m not just talking about a little up-and-down type of season; the guy would post 13-14-4 one night, then 2-3-1 the next. Also, he just isn’t quite as good as advertized and for the price you’d have to pay to lure him away from the Clippers — I think most teams just don’t believe it’s worth it.

      • Tommy4daNuggz4ever

        Ok I just was throwing another player out there that is young and thought might have some potential that’s all

        • Kalen

          No, I totally understand. Trust me, the thought of DeAndre on the Nuggets has definitely crossed my mind a time or two, and I’d still love him on our team, it’s just that when you analyze and write about this type of stuff for hours on end during your free time (like me) you tend to come to conclusions eventually. There are certain players that are a better fit for the Nuggets and others that just aren’t a possibility. Plus, you always have to consider the roster. If you have 3-4 players that all play the same position, you’re simply not going to sign another one. In free agency you tend to address need more than anything and right now the Nuggets need help on the front court, especially if Nene leaves.

          • Tommy4daNuggz4ever

            I agree Kalen and I understand what your saying. What are your thoughts on someone that gets amenstied such as possiblilities like Travis Outlaw or is their anyone else that you can think of that could be available as well.

            • Kalen

              It’s tough to say because you never know what teams are thinking or what their strategies are. Looking at the most likely candidates however, I think the Pistons are gonna have to nip either Ben Gordon, Rip Hamilton or Charlie Villanueva. Out of those three I think Hamilton is the most likely and I think he’d be a solid addition to the Nuggets, although I’d be apprehensive about the chemistry between him and Afflalo. If one of them could put their ego aside, they’d make a great duo.

              Andris Biedrins, Mike Miller, Darko Milicic, Nate Robinson, Andres Nocioni, John Salmons, Francisco Garcia and Raja Bell are other likely candidates that I think the Nuggets should probably consider.

              As for Travis Outlaw, again he plays that small forward position that we’re just crammed at, but if we could sign him for cheap I wouldn’t have a problem with it at all. Still out of everyone I mentioned Biedrins and Milicic would probably be my favorite targets considering they both play center. I also really like Salmons, Garcia and Bell as backup shooting guards though.

              • danuggz4ever

                Andris Biedrins, Mike Miller, Darko Milicic, Andres Nocioni, and Raja Bell I really like Mike Miller and Raja bell for SG. But I was thinking and plotting to come up with something I haven’t even seen and I think this might be a good answer to our back up SG any thoughts on the man named Shannon Brown a free agent that is coming of a team more than 20 million in luxury tax and has 91 million easy in cap. I think he has a lot of potential and he is only 26. And him and Afflalo could great some havoc together if say Lawson gets hurt and Miller can keep up we could use him as a PG while Forbes and Hamilton could back up Afflalo so in my opinion Afflalo and Brown might be a good tandum with Lawson and Miller as our back court. Any thoughts Kalen? Or anyone else Aaron, DH, G, or anyone?
                As for Andris Biedrins, Darko Milicic,and Andres Nocioni I don’t really know about them I say we stay with Mozzy and Koufas and maybe pick up Samuel Dalembert on a 1 or 2 year deal. Or maybe run at West or another vet to keep us in the running for the playoffs but nothing too expensive.

  • Frontrange

    Not at all interest in adding Marco or Murph. Not sure that Marco is really an NBA player outside of the preseason. Swish is so much better at the other stuff that I am not Bellini would get off GK bench.

    As far as Murph is concerned, I think you need to be very careful spending on non-athletic guys coming off down years on the wrong side of 30. That seems like a bad gamble. As a substitute for that gamble – 27 year old Travis Outlaw will soon be an amnesty cut. He had an awful season and could be done but for that same price I would be on board.

    If healthy, Joel will probably garner interest. I’d love to add him along side Nene and Moz.

    Hayes and Forbes are just the type of under the radar bench guys the Nugs have been adding the past few years.

  • Peter

    Kalen, Jalen Rose on his podcast recently said he thinks Wilson Chandler will be an all-star in the future. Do you think there is any chance he re-signs with the nuggets and if not do you think we will be able to get something of considerable value for him in a trade once he comes back from China?

    • http://roundballminingcompany.com Kalen

      Well, first off I guarantee Wilson Chandler will NOT be an All-Star at any point in his career. Nothing against him, because as I’ve said many times I think he’s a great, undervalued player, but to make the All-Star team in today’s NBA is incredibly difficult. I just see now way he joins the likes of Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant at any time in his future career. I mean, if Rudy Gay — a guy who’s had better numbers his entire career — can’t even make the All-Star team, then I just see no way Chandler will be able to.

      As for his future with the Nuggets, I really don’t think there’s a good chance he’ll be back, especially with Jordan Hamilton on the roster. My guess is that we’ll figure out where he wants to go, facilitate a sign-and-trade with that team and get a pretty good set of assets in return (either some draft picks or another solid player). Chandler is just too talented to come off the bench. He’s young, still improving and it’s his right to capitalize on the opportunity to go where he wants and get a big pay check in the process. I don’t see the Nugget preventing this from happening, although we’ll definitely get something in return.

  • http://roundballminingcompany.com Kalen

    danuggz4ever — For some reason there’s not a reply under your last comment. All I was gonna say though is that I like Brown as a possibility and forgot to mention him in that list. I think he might want to start somewhere though, so his price range could be out of our budget.

    • Tommy4daNuggz4ever

      Thank you i dont know why but i can hope i think him and afflalo would just be awsome

      • danuggz4ever

        I changed my name so if yall reply you can just put tommy

  • NuggetsAustralia

    The 85% salary cap rule is looking like it’s really going to be an issue for the Nuggets, because you don’t want to give contracts to guys you don’t really want, but that may end up happening just to fill a roster.

    The reality is that the pool of FAs available who would be willing to sign in Denver is small and we aren’t going to be making a splash. Guys like Gasol and DeAndre would be great, but it ain’t happening. I do think the best option we should be looking at is Thaddeus Young – doesn’t really fill a need, but he’s young and athletic and fits the direction we are going. At this point, we should just be trying to develop the young guys and accumulate assets. We won’t be contending this year and should be looking forward, including to a strong draft next year.

    I know he’s a headcase, but I’d also be looking into what it would take to get Josh Smith from the Hawks. They are definitely going to trade him and his perceived value is lower than his ability.

  • Matt Henry

    Anyone who watched the eurobasket tournament this year should know that pairing up Gallinari and Bellinelli again is a recipe for disaster. With that being said, I’d vastly prefer seeing what we could get for gallinari, while trying to get chandler to stay in Denver. I definitely think that when Chandler reaches his prime he will be an all-star candidate, while Gallinari will never be much more than a 3-point specialist (a mediocre one at that).

    • aussienuggsfan

      I agree. We could receive a lot more in return for gallo in terms of draft picks or another young player. I think chandler has a more rounded game and as a starter his defense and ability to thrive in a fast paced offense like new York gives him a higher ceiling. Defense is key especially when you are in the same division as Kevin durant.

  • gk4prez

    I am not to worried about the 85% issue, the have a huge TPE that they can use to acquire an expiring contract with. The plus of going this route is usually when one team provides cap relief to another in this manner, they get a young player with potential or a draft pick for doing it. Example: The Twolves did this last year in the Melo trade, by taking on the expiring contract of Curry, they got Randolph and a future 2nd. Another example: The Cavs took on Bdiddy and got what turned out to be the number one overall pick in the draft for doing it.

    I am more concerned with the Hochman article from the DP today (Q&A with GK):

    Q: What does your gut tell you about the Nuggets’ chances of signing Nene?

    A: I’m anxious for my opportunity to recruit him (later this week). I think Nene knows how much I care about him. In a strange way, Nene’s become maybe the most important guy on our team. He’s not a man of big numbers, but he’s a man of big responsibility. I think our young guys need him. We’ve talked a lot (in the past) about how he’d rather play power forward than center, well, I think this is the year he can get that opportunity (with Timofey Mozgov at center). He’s become our veteran leader. I really do think this is the best place for him.

    Q: If Nene returns, is your lineup Ty Lawson, Arron Afflalo​, Danilo Gallinari​, Mozgov and Nene?

    A: I’m not going to write that in stone, but that’s probably what we’re looking at. Timo has had a great run in Russia. Of all our players, he’s played well. He’s been extremely impressive from the videos we’ve seen.

    Q: OK, but what is the lineup if Nene doesn’t return?

    A: I’ll be honest with you — I think Kosta Koufos​ is a guy we’d probably consider, as well as Al Harrington​ and Chris Andersen. There are a lot of guys. And we’re not afraid to play small. I would say that Kosta is going to be given a lot of minutes this year. And Bird has been a responsible player for us, and he’ll be healthier.

    Q: What will be your strategy with the point guards, since last spring you often played Lawson and ex-Nugget Raymond Felton together?

    A: I think Ty and Andre Miller are going to be great leaders for our team. Andre (acquired from Portland), if he’s not the smartest player in the NBA, he’s one of the top three. His brain is as good as anybody in the game. I put him in the same category with Steve Nash​. We had a lot of success last season playing two point guards together, and I plan on doing some of that this year. Ty has shown he’s ready to be a 30-35 minute player. We need him to step forward.

    Q: What’s your strategy in a shortened training camp?

    A: Camp will be 60 percent defensive-oriented, to where we can build our offense off of being a good defensive team — and build our confidence off playing defense.

    Q: How is your health these days?

    A: Other than getting old, I think I’m doing great, from a standpoint of sustaining my weight, getting a little stronger, working out a little more. There’s been a consistent improvement there from over the summer. I just enjoy where I am right now. The 66-game season squeezed in, there’s going to be a lot of travel and a lot of games, but everybody in the organization has got to be ready to commit the time to give us a great chance to get better, grow during the season and get ready for the playoffs.
    ________________________________

    If the Nuggets sign more journeyman type free agents, the rookies on the team will never sniff the court, which is dumb because this is the perfect season to develop them especially if Nene leaves, which is looking like that is exactly what is going to happen.

    • Matt Henry

      I agree with that last statement, that we should avoid signing journeymen free-agents, however I doubt we could win many games with the front court that we currently have. Additionally, from what I’ve heard (I don’t know very much because I was a knicks fan until the melo-drama began) George Karl isn’t very good at developing young talent. I think we need to explore trade opportunities for good young big men such as Lopez, or Bynum (despite the injuries) or Oden (also despite the injuries).

      • gk4prez

        If Nene leaves, and I suspect he will (I hope I am wrong) then how far can this team go? I don’t see it going very far, so I would rather see the team develop the young guys, get a good draft pick, save some/most of the cap flexibility that it finally gained and wait for the right opportunity to present itself before making a major move.

        I know I am not alone in thinking this way, but I also realize that several people have different views on how to go about it.

      • gk4prez

        And it is true, GK doesn’t like to play rookies, which is why I and several others think that he is the wrong man for the job in a rebuilding situation.

        I do think it is a bit harsh to say that he doesn’t develop young talent because he does, he just tends to go about doing it in a slow old school sort of way.

    • Tommy4daNuggz4ever

      I kind of hope that GK and his relationship with Nene is really that good because alot of things point otherwise. I wouldn’t mind seeing this line up

      Lawson/Miller
      Afflalo/Forbes
      Gallo/J Hamilton
      Nene/Faried/Harrington/ChooChoo
      Mozzy/Kofous/Birdman

      And potential signings
      Shannon Brown, DeAndre Jordan,Thaddeus Young maybe even J Rich. I think any of these with this line up could set us up for success and either keep Will Chandler or do a sign and trade. For some other piece or draft picks. It would be nice to see what happens this week and I am hoping for the best

  • gk4prez

    Can you not put a quote and edit key on this site? In my opinion, it would be a step in the right direction.

    • http://roundballminingcompany.com Kalen

      There’s a lot of things that need to be changed/updated on this site and we’re currently working on addressing these issues. One of those is a better commenting format. Hopefully we can get this done before the season starts.

  • Mkmo

    I really think that we should throw a lot of money towards Greg Oden. If we could sign him and resign Nene, Nene would be able to move over to pf and have Oden start at center. It would be a huge risk move but could payoff a ton and now would be the perfect time with the new deal requiring teams to pay 85% of the salary cap and us having so much free cap space.

  • Michael (anotheraussienuggzfan)

    As much as I’d like to see Oden finally play more than a handful of games before falling to pieces (I’ve had a knee reco and feel his pain), I don’t think it is going to happen and after taking the chance on K-mart’s knee’s I do not want another constantly hobbled big on our roster especially one that can’t play at least until late Jan if not Feb.

    For those people that seem to mention choo choo on an “active” Nuggets roster, they obviously don’t know much about him. The guy only starting playing ball a few years ago and he was basically a “make a point” pick by Masia to show that players from Africa can make it to the NBA and support his push for more African support (I know other African players have made it but they are few and far between).
    Choo Choo will be at best a D-league player, if he can develop. The guy has only played a handful of minutes in the D-league so I wouldn’t hold my breath on him making an NBA roster.

    I believe AA will be back, I think he is shopping himself to try and get a good contract out of the Nuggets, smart business move. He is comfortable in our system and if he stays is likely to be Captain and be looked for more on the offensive end, bombing those 3′s from the corners.

    I’d like to see Nene back, but I don’t think I could swallow giving him a max contract, not for his average stat line and inconsistent effort. He is a GOOD player that had the potential to be a great player, but he never got tough enough for a big to make that transition from good to great.
    A s&t would be nice to get something back for him, however I don’t think we’ll ever see a repeat of the Melo trade, as that was driven as much by the Knicks owner being desparate to get Melo as much as our front office doing a good job.

    I don’t see us keeping Wilson Chandler if we also keep Gallo, if the guy turns down Italy to go to China as part of avoiding playing with/behind Gallo then I don’t see him being happy coming off the bench behind him here and the last thing the Nuggs need is another SF drama, especially with a bunch of young guys around. The better option would be to s&t him upon his return from China to try and get a young prospect and draft pick, or expiring contract and pick.

    As for the 85% payroll, as has been previously stated, front loading AA’s contract this year will help towards that and if we pick up an expiring contract in a Nene or Chandler s&t that should help. We will not amnesty Big Al as we need his contract to help with payroll, we need players on the roster and I don’t see us getting anyone that much better for the money. On top of that bringing in too many new faces in a compressed pre-season isn’t going to aid the team.

    I support the other article on this site about a methodical approach and look to the future instead of crippling the future by being hasty in the now. Give our young guys, Ty, AA, Gallo, Faried, JHam, Moz, Koufus, Forbes plenty of run time. I personally believe Koufus is just as capable at Center as Moz, although Moz seems to be the more popular choice, Kosta isn’t without ability which he has shown when given the opportunity.

    I share concerns that our young guys aren’t going to get a fair go with Karl at the helm, however if we are mostly young guys then he doesn’t have much choice. If he follows last years (and if anyone remembers, the first few months of his tenure) and plays a deep rotation and keeps the young guys running and playing some good D with reasonable outside shooters then we can at least look like a decent team.
    I don’t expect to contend or make the playoffs, with only all the young guys, but in a compressed season followed by a strong draft it makes sense to give your young guys all the experience you can and build a good culture to draft another solid player or two into.

  • james

    i don’t know if this has been covered already in the comments, but i think we should move jamal crawford from elusive dream to a guy we should put on high priority signing. We need a consistent 3 point shooter off the bench, especially now without JR, and also Crawford can hit clutch shots, the most glaring problem Denver had all through the OKC series.

    Considering Denver is far under the minimum salary cap, we should be able to throw more money at him than other suitors (Chicago) would be able to. I think he’s third to Nene and Afflalo in terms of vital signings

    • Tommy4daNuggz4ever

      It has been covered by a few of us and we have come up with some others I actually originally said J Crawford as well but names like J Richardson and a couple others were thrown out that were younger than Crawford

  • Tommy4daNuggz4ever

    Jead something about Thaddeaus Young had s good conversation with the Nuggets and move conversations being planned sounds good for us…? I think he could be good for the nuggets but like Kalen said we have some depth at SF already. But I also have faith in Masai in building a great team let’s see the magic begin.

    • Omar

      we could possibly run this lineup and slide gallo over to the the 4. with this lineup, we also no longer need chandler and can easily trade him for a high draft pick. also nene might be heading to houston, and if he does denver might be able to do a s&t for a draft pick and someone like thabeet. with three picks in a loaded draft, we should be competing in no time, as long our picks are smartly chosen. also with the signing of young, we coould essentially trade gallo as well for super high pick.

      lawson/miller
      afflalo/forbes
      young/hamilton
      gallo/faried
      mozgov/koufos

      • Tommy4daNuggz4ever

        I like this line upwith moving Gallo to the 4 spot and using T.Young at 3 and I would for sure S&T for Will Chandler and get some Draft picks and S&T Nene if possible. For draft picks and someone but I say hang on to Gallo for this season and possible longer and next years Draft is alot better and with good picks we will be rolling really good

  • Pietre18

    Those free agents are definitely way UNDER the radar. and all are options that are affordable and would kind of fit in? Forbes is the only one I agree with that could fill a need and come cheap and work with the team chemistry. But why is no one talking about Marc Gasol! Even if Nene wants to come back and we give him all the money he wants, is it really worth it? I have been Nene fan since he was drafted and have always been a supporter that he is a rare and underrated center. He’s soft at times, either because he get’s in his own head, or, and I seriously think this, the refs really call some ticky-tack fouls on him and he HAS to play soft. The man has a lot of talent that isn’t the stereotypical NBA center talent, but without melo, and the oungs nuggets team that we are at now, Nene’s style fits amost perfectly. I can’t think of a place, besiede maybe Miami where he could get a lot of easy bucket and play his almost soccer-like style for a huge impact like he can on the nuggets.

    But it’s all besides the point. Marc Gasol. Pau’s younger, stronger, more physicall, quicker footed, more upside, CHEAPER, brother! He’s only 25 and has way more upside then Nene, who’s 29. We might lose some points per game, but Gasol is way more of a pounder in the paint. He likes rebounding, he blocks more shots, still a great center passer, and CHeaper! Memphis can’t pay him the money we can, and the money we can pay him is 3-5 million less a season then we’ll give Nene. we get a younger, possibly more consistent center that we can have for years to come for less money!

    It makes so much sense for the Nuggets that I just cannot believe it’s not getting talked about more. It’s freaking weird and crazy. Look at how much Nene gets hated on for not living up to his current contract, you think giving him up to 7 million more a season is going to quiet those critics? Bring in Marc, PLEASE! Can we get some heat going on this guy because he’s really worth the money that we can give him? Help me out Roundball!

  • Pietre18

    Dangit! Next time I’ll read more articles before commenting. Just read the CBS report about Marc. it was a month ago so things can change right? haha. is it not worth it still to try? The man can play and play’s possibly better then Nene. He’s like putting Nene and K-mart in one person. Tough and skilled.


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