We’ve had a few NBA trades go down in the last week; none bigger than the swap between the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers. We grade the trade
A few days ago, The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Portland Trail Blazers were sending Mason Plumlee and a 2018 second-round pick to Denver in exchange for Jusuf Nurkic and a first-round pick from the Memphis Grizzlies in the upcoming 2017 draft.
Now that it’s official, we grade the deal between the Nuggets and Blazers – the first “bigger-type” move (not counting the Cavs trading for Kyle Korver, which happened more than a month ago) of the trade season.
Why this makes sense for the Blazers:
Portland began the season with high expectations coming off a surprising run that ultimately led to a loss in the conference semifinals to the Golden State Warriors. Despite maintaining the majority of the 2015-16 team, the Blazers have struggled, resulting in an unfortunate 23-32 record.
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Trading Plumlee for Nurkic and a draft pick indicates the Blazers have decided to prioritize the future over making the playoffs this season. Nurkic does not make Portland a better team as of right now. Plumlee was an integral part of the Blazers offense, and fitting finding Nurkic’s fit will take time.
Jusuf Nurkic is a capable post-scorer, and has the physical tools to be a good defender. Nurkic is just 22 years old and needs time to fully develop into the player he will ultimately become. Even better, Nurkic is still on his rookie-scale contract.
Mason Plumlee is a good player. Plumlee boasts exceptional athleticism, he sets a decent screen, and is one of the best passing centers in the league. However, with the Blazers well into the luxury tax next season, it would have been very difficult justify bring Plumlee back.
Essentially, the Blazers knew they were not going to be able to keep Plumlee in a Portland jersey and got something for him while they could. In doing so, the Blazers managed to bring in a young big man with potential and a third first-round pick in a very deep NBA Draft.
Why this makes sense for the Nuggets:
This season Nikola Jokic has emerged as a rising star for the Nuggets. Which had resulted in a diminished role for Nurkic. The Bosnian big man made it clear that he was unhappy with the minutes he was getting, and it was best for both parties to part ways.
The Nuggets are one of the youngest teams in the NBA and giving a first-round pick may not be as harsh as it sounds. Denver’s current roster hardly has enough playing time for the young talent as it is.
In essence, Denver gets to move on from an unhappy young player, while adding a valuable rotation player in Mason Plumlee. The Nuggets get a chance to see if Plumlee is a good fit, and if they would like to bring him back long-term. Denver has more than enough cap space to match any offer that their new big man might receive.
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In summary, this is a trade that makes sense for both teams. Portland gets something for a player they were assured to lose this summer. Denver gets to part ways with a negative attitude in the locker room, while bolstering their roster for their playoff push. Everybody wins.