One latest bombshell NBA rumor could indicate that the Denver Nuggets are ready to blow up their championship core.
Eyeing down the barrel of mediocrity in the Western Conference, the Denver Nuggets may be inching closer and closer to the possibility of making a franchise-altering move at the NBA Trade Deadline. As the Nuggets have struggled with consistency all season long, it appears that there is an opportunity to make a big move to shake up their roster. Whether the Nuggets will make the bold move or not remains the big question.
According to Tony Jones and Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Nuggets have (expectedly) been scouring the trade market for an upgrade to the roster. What perhaps hasn't been expected is that they've been exploring potential trade targets that would completely revamp their championship core. Among the potential targets that have been linked to the Nuggets is one Zach LaVine. In the article, it says that the Nuggets' interest in the All-Star guard is "significant."
Should the Denver Nuggets blow up their championship core?
Overall, because of their lack of trade assets, any big move that the Nuggets make at the NBA Trade Deadline is likely going to come at the expense of Michael Porter Jr. At this point, if Denver does make a big move, it will likely come at the cost of blowing up their championship core. It's certainly a difficult and big decision but at this point, you can't be surprised either way with what the team may decide to do.
The writing may already be on the wall for this core and there's no question that the struggles that they've gone through this season are certainly concerning. The big question that the front office needs to ask themselves is whether those concerns are worth blowing up the roster or not. At this point, it does seem as if they are seriously thinking about that as a possibility.
There are two big concerns that come with making such a decision over the next couple of months. Before anything is made, they have to answer these two questions. First, the Nuggets have to be honest with themselves and figure out if the championship window for this core (as it's currently constructed) is 100 percent closed. If the answer to that question is yes, then there's another one Denver has to answer.
Secondly, the Nuggets have to ask if making whatever move they explore next will make them a championship contender again. If the answer to that question is "not sure" or "no," perhaps it would be foolish for the team to blow up their current roster construction.
The Nuggets clearly have a big decision to make and it's certainly already on their minds. Nothing will be easy for Denver over the next couple of months and whatever they decide to do will certainly have a huge impact on this team's immediate future. It won't be easy but all eyes will certainly be glued on Denver between now and the NBA Trade Deadline.