Can the Denver Nuggets Survive Without KCP?

Can the Denver Nuggets Survive Without KCP?

the Denver Nuggets have a decision to make will kcp be back or not this is going to determine the rest of their off season and if he doesn’t come back what are some options available to them we’re going to talk about all that and more today here at lockon nuggets you are locked on nuggets your daily Denver Nuggets podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day what’s popping y’all this is your boy swiper here at lockon nuggets hope you are having a fantastic fantastic Saturday this has been a big week of NBA news we find out today that LeBron James is opting out of his $51 million player option and it looks like he’s willing to take a lesser deal for them to have full access to their mle which is about 12.4 million and so the NBA is a buzz there are a lot of rumors right now the Denver Nuggets are connected to a lot of different players but the person that we are most concerned with right now is contavious Carwell pope now kcp Bar None and again for me had an argument as a first team all NBA Defender this last year he was incredible he spent among all NBA guards some of the most minutes guarding the other team’s number one option on a consistent basis now again whether that was Damian Lillard with the Milwaukee Bucks what that was Steph Curry with the Golden State Warriors Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns he did anything and everything the Denver Nuggets asked and including getting into the NBA playoffs and having to do it versus LeBron James having to do it versus Kevin Durant last year and I am very very very high on kcp because we saw kcp in game two against the Phoenix Suns on the way to win a championship he had 20 points in that game it was absolutely going insane hitting Corner three-pointers his defense was exceptional we saw him in game four of the Western Conference finals and he basically helped turn the game around in the third and fourth quarter when the Nuggets were down 15 and half so he has moments including the NBA Finals getting the final Ste on Jimmy Butler to seal the game getting the steal against LeBron James in the first round this year kcp is incredible and if he or anybody in his campus listening to this trust me the Denver Nuggets media and the Denver Nuggets fans are very aware of how important he is to the Denver Nugget success and first and foremost when you’re an NBA player and you’re in this position you have to do what you believe is best for your family and if you’re telling me that there’s a team that’s going to offer someone $25 million a year for two individual Seasons like maybe the Orlando Magic or others then you know what you got to do what’s best for you and what’s best for your family but when the Nuggets think about it on on their end do they have the ability to resign kcp 1,00% absolutely they have his bird rights they can match any contract offer that he gets but the question the nuggets are having to weigh are we willing to basically put ourselves in the second apron not have any flexibility for the most part and then on the other end of this are we willing to just say we’re going to rely on our five and just hope for the best for the development of our young guys and then maybe get some bet Mims that’s a tough question to ask and again that’s not kyp’s job so he shouldn’t he shouldn’t have to think about those things but that is Calvin Bo’s job Michael Malone has to be aware of these things the cronies have to be aware of these things so so they constantly have to be evaluating is the roster where it needs to be for us to be able to compete and for us to win so kcp he is in a very interesting position right now because I think everybody knows how good he is but kcp also has flaws as a player and again it doesn’t make his value any less it’s just keeping in context that when Calvin boo talked about kcp he did say that teams have had to figure out how to replace their fourth or fifth guy every so often so that’s a part of the conversation is like you know when you get in this situation and you got a fifth starter everybody on the starting unit yic has a super duper backs he was at one point the highest paid player in the league currently going into the 2024 2025 season joic is going to be the third highest paid player in the league tied with embiid again like I said LeBron James opted out Steph Curry’s going to be making $ 55.7 million this next season kawh Leonard 52.3 and then joic 51.4 embiid 51.4 LeBron James 51.4 Kevin Durant 51.1 and then you got Bradley Bill at 50 Devin Booker at 497 Jaylen Brown at 497 and then Carl Anthony Towns at 49.2 so the NBA is getting more expensive because the players at the top are taking up so much money but again you’re completely fine with that because they deserve all that bread 1,000% not even a question now the conversation becomes when you’re building out role players and players that fill the roster do you want to be paying premium dollar for premium highquality role player and again some teams will OG and anobi just got a fiveyear $215 million deal $215 million for OG and anobi OG is a very good player but 43 million a year for a dude that’s in the same tier I think it’s Michael Porter Jr that’s something you got the way but again for them it makes sense because they they’re building with Mel Bridges OG and anobi and maybe bringing back isah hartenstein they got Josh Hart they’re building Wings Around Jaylen Brunson because they want to protect him as much as possible but also give him off ball spacing because again they’re prioritizing the roster so for the Nuggets now on the other end is kcp going forward the best player to put around their main option the best player in the world in N joic now I I can make an argument that yes I think that’s clear joic obviously is not the best defender in the world so therefore you need players that can screen Chase navigate playoff ball rotate work in the post and even be a helps side Defender at times to stop the ball before it gets to the basket when the nuggets are hedging and kcp literally does that perfectly he plays passing Lanes perfectly he is literally an apex Defender he’s incredible and again if you’re asking me among guards Caruso Drew holiday Derek white say they better but I would make an argument among guards he is right in that next tier of the conversation because the numbers bear it out as well but now we’re in a situation like I said where the nuggets are just going to have to say are we willing to pay up to $25 million a year for kcp as our fifth starter can Aaron Gordon’s Gonna Get r up and I would be willing to bet AG just saw OG and aobi OG and anobi get 215 and OG doesn’t even finish the season sometimes so if OG anobi is getting that kind of money Boy Aaron Gordon is about to get a bag he’s about to get a bag so then now it’s like okay so if Aaron Gordon gets 35 and then Porter is at 35 and then Murray who just resigned to a 4-year 20 basically like a $ 209 million deal like we have decisions to make there are just the decision that we have to make and so Jamal Murray’s making 52.2 yic is going to be making 55 to 60 ag35 mpj 35 can we pay 25 to kcp I am more than willing I am more than willing to say that kcp is just not worth that for the team but I think his skill set is invaluable and and so we’re in a situation now where I think kcp is looking at the market Grayson Allen just got a 4year 90 million or foure $70 million deal which is 17 and a half uh and then Malik monk got foure 78 million which is 19 and a half so if you’re asking me if I’m Denver I’m looking at this and saying I think $21 million a year would be more than more than respectable and I’d be comfortable with that because on the other end of this is is it’s like well these are what other role players that are in the same conversation Malik Monk and Grayson Allen are making well then kcp needs to be around that and I think that they can and should if the number is in that framework but then again understand this we’re going to talk about this on the other side because now we’re going to talk about if they don’t are the Nuggets still contenders but for now the Nuggets can resign him and I think a three-year deal for about 63 sounds more than fair with maybe a team option on that third year but y’all on the other side we’re going to talk about are the Denver Nuggets still a contender if kcp does walk given how important he is to the team we’re gonna talk about all that and more here at lockon nuggets y’all I love going to sports venues going to games I love going to events going to theater going to Comedy shows and especially if you know if you got somebody in your life you just like doing activities around the city it’s really important and if you want to go to like a Colorado Rocket game because you love The View you love the venue seeing the sunset in Denver Colorado game time is an authorized ticket Marketplace for Major League Baseball which makes getting tickets faster and 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NBA for $20 off your first purchase term Supply and you can use that game time M to go and get diver Nuggets tickets this upcoming season for this brand new edition of the starting five maybe oh boy y’all so again can the Denver Nuggets win without kcp are the Denver Nuggets contenders without kcp that is an interesting question let me know y’all think in the chat if you are on the YouTube side and you’re live watching this or you’re watching this after the fact let me know in the chat do you think that the Denver Nuggets are still contenders if kcp is no longer on this roster so this season the Denver Nuggets as a starting five with Murray joic Gordon mpj and kcp they had a 1259 offensive rating that’s insane they had a 112. three defensive rating they had a plus 13.6 net rating in 958 minutes played a plus 13.6 net rating in 958 minutes played so they absolutely cooked they cooked on Elite minutes and just to give y’all an understanding of the rest of the league that’s also a part of the why the Nuggets seem like they gassed out at the end of the season the Nugget starters this last year played more minutes than any other team in the league by more than a hundred by well yeah by more than 150 minutes by more than 150 minutes they were used all the time and yet they still were a plus 13.6 which is why somewhat they ran out of juice at the end of the season in the second round in game seven which was just a whole another story so my short answer to are they contenders without him is yes and the reason is and you know Melody is dead brought this up this was literally where I was about to go this is literally where I was about to go uh melod D said bro yic can get 55 wins with with Baku with faku and Barton and this is the thing joic when he’s on the court is basically the most lethal floor Raiser like in the league Bar None Bar None among all superstars the Nuggets perform better when he’s on the court than when any other star when they’re on the court so they can win I told Ryan Blackburn from my Ohio Sports they can win 55 games without kcp without kcp the question is can they win a championship without his versatility and that is the the the preeminent question yes they still are contenders but if they just have Christian Brown and Julian strawther at the number two options I do not feel that’s confident for that because you’re going to need to see an a really an expected third-year leap from Christian Brown and Julian strawther after coming off a year last year where he just struggled a little bit from the line it’s his rookie season he struggled to stay healthy so you know that’s a part of it you know he’s young you’re getting used to the NBA for the first time but they would have to really be in a situation where Julian and Christian take several leaps this year and last year again Julian strawther regular season numbers which again I get rookie year he scored 4.5 points a game and he shot 36.9% from the field and 29.7% from three on three attempts a game when he did play so Julian would have to be a 40% three-point shooter not even close like it would have to Julian would have to improve so dramatically as a three-point shooter because the spacing that he would have to provide is the most important thing the most important thing so but then but then you’re you’re relying on these young third-year second-year players to be the preeminent on ball Defenders versus the elite guards in the league cuz Jamal Murray that is not his responsibility you’re asking them to be pre-eminent floor spacers and again Christian Brown above the break I think shots 42% from three on the course of the season on the bench I mean on the on the uh the the corner threes he sucked he was not good so he needs to get better at that but they would have to he would have to provide real spacing and then defensively they would be working harder than they’ve ever had to work and kcp grew into that role it’s Christian Brown prepared to be the primary Defender chasing and finishing all plays defensively at the guard position which he could because we’ve seen Christian do really well on Anthony Edward we’ve seen Christian do really well on Kevin Durant we’ve seen Christian do really well on Jimmy Butler and others so he’s big enough he’s strong enough he’s physical enough and he’s explosive enough again he’s 6 foot six so he absolutely has the potential but again relying on potential that is always going to be the question with young play players can you rely on that potential to grow at the rate that it needs to grow in order to win last year Christian Brown 7.3 points per game 3.7 rebounds 1.6 assists now he did shoot 46% from the field 38.4% from three and 69% from the free throw line that stuff has to get better that stuff has to get better so if you are telling me that there’s like a leap and again we’re going to get to this in the in the in the third segment about who are some players that if they do lose kcp can then replace kyp’s value on this team but if you’re saying that Christian Brown takes a leap that Julian strawther becomes a more consistent and reliable floor spacer as well as has the defensive chops to be the backup too then again I think all of us would say then yeah we’re we’re comfortable with that and again per 100 possessions last year Christian Brown 18 points a game nine rebounds four assists that’s those are good numbers 4.8 three-point attempts per 100 possessions 38% from the field from three so and even his rookie year he shot 35% so he’s getting better like he has shown that there is a level that he could get to as a three-point shooter I don’t think he’ll ever become like Grayson Allen but Alex Caruso became a very commendable three-point shooter last year and now he’s with with the OKC Thunder so can Christian Brown make enough steps oh and then also another thing for Christian Brown is going to be his finishing Christian Brown shot 49.8% from two last year not that’s not good enough he shot 66.7% from 0o to three point not good enough he shot 33.9% from 3 to 10 not good enough and he didn’t he was basically a a zero from mid-range so Christian is just going to have to finish around the rim better and finish from mid-range better and then kcp does those things at least from the mid-range so he’s going to need to replace that kind of value because the nuggets are going to need him to operate as a cutter so yes they can still be they still will be contenders yes they can still win a title if kcp lead but there it gets immeasurably harder and now you’re completely dependent on development of younger players but on the other side of this y’all we’re going to talk what are some options if kcp does leave who are some players that the different nuggets Target to replace him all that and more in the next segment here at lockon nuggets passion drive and patience the formula for winning championships is also what keeps your ride or die alive eBay Motors has everything 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may be I hope you had a great Saturday if you’re overseas listening to this shout out to all my Serbian African and Asian listeners and everybody else that’s all across the global world that let us know they listen to lock on nuggets all the time y’all so here’s where we are here’s where we are if the Nuggets cannot replace cannot replace kcp what are some options that are going to be available to them this next season so currently the only assets the Denver Nuggets have that are truly tradable from a draft sck pick standpoint is a 2031 first round pick a 2031 first round pick and the contract that they most likely will be trying to move is going to be Zeke nai’s four years $32 million deal that starts during the 20242 season so currently Zeke naagi is slated to make 8.8 million dollar in this next season that’s upcoming so if the Nuggets want to upgrade they are going to have to find ways to make it work so currently they are underneath the luxury tack if if they were to also get off of Zeke naji’s contract in re like very recently they would also be under the luxury tax and then per Ryan Blackburn the Nuggets currently have about 170. 39 million committed to 2024-25 the first luxury tack apron line it’s at 7 178.6 five so Denver has about 8.26 mil in space now if they trade Zeke Naji without taking on any any other player they’ll be at 17.15 and then they would also then have access to the full mle which is about 12.8 so it really depends on how creative it’s really it’s really going to be about how creative Denver wants to be because if they want to they can make a lot of room like big time make a lot of room if they really wanted to trade one of their assets which assets meaning Payton Watson or Christian Brown which again I don’t think they want to do that but if they wanted to they could they could trade and get assets for one of those players and then ask a team to take on zek Naji contract uh and then outright sign a player with about 17 in room or on the other end of this they can re not resign casy P put Christian Brown in the starting lineup be under the luxury tax and then trade Zeke Naji in that 2031 first round pick for another player but the thing is without kcp they will have access to the taxpayer ml which is about 5.2 million the player that I have consistently talked about the Denver Nugget targeting is Chris Dunn Chris Dunn is a 6’4 and a half point guard that absolutely is a lock down Defender and that can create for himself and others and that is a nice complimentary guard to play next to Jamal Murray and that is a screen Chaser that is somebody who’s really really helpful as a guard post Defender versus some of those guards like Devin Bookers and and your uh not Anthony Edwards as much because obviously and is like a a super big athlete you know Jaylen Brown even but that’s another player you can add for Fairly cheap and if if so Phoenix the Phoenix has been rumored for Chris Dunn but they’ve also been rumored for Monte Morris and other point guards but if you were to put Chris Dunn in the spot give him the taxpayer mle which is about 5.2 and then tell him like look you know we’re going to give you an opportunity to get a real run with a championship team to prove your stuff you’ll be able to run a second unit you’ll be to play with Nica yic and and look what we’ve done for kcp kcp is going to get a 20 plus million doll year deal we got 15 from us for two back-to-back Seasons like we have obviously help Bruce Brown to get $45 million we can if you play well on these guard spots on Denver then you will absolutely get paid and so I think Chris Dunn is probably going to be one of my first targets now the one that I have also very openly talked about that it’s going to take some negotiation and and honestly the Chicago Bulls would have to they would have to be willing to kind of play with this a little bit as well and that’s IO dumu a dosumu is about 6’4 and a half he’s 24 years old he’s a very good Defender he’s a very good Defender he has gotten better on a yearly basis last year was the best year of his career just so far 12 points a game three assist averaged three rebounds shot 81% from the free Throne line had a 58.3 effective field goal percentage he shot 40% from three on 3.9 attempts a game not a volume shooter and then he shot 56.8% from two on the Bulls so that’s that is my main target if the Bulls just traded away Alice Kus over Josh giddy they don’t really have room for Io Io is going to be behind Kobe Wright and he’s going to be behind potentially Zack LaVine if they keep him and then also behind Josh giddy who they just traded for so if if I’m the Nuggets I’m going to look at them and say look we’re gonna attach that first round pick for you we’re gonna get IO in our system he has another year on his deal and let me read to you let me see so IO has two more years on this deal the Nuggets would be paying him seven this next season and 7.5 the season after that and then they can resign him again IO is 20 four he’s big enough strong enough and young enough to develop and he would offer so much versatility for this team and again Chris Dunn is my free agent cheaper veteran wire IO is my go get him this is a core player type player and again I was very strong about this a couple years ago if you heard me I said the Nuggets need to sign Bruce Brown waited for him to sign him got him on day two for $6 million because no other team believed in him I knew he was going to be able to play point guard he did it was dominant won a championship I also knew that nil Alexander Walker last year that was my guy nil Alexander Walker I knew a six foot5 combo guard he’s gonna have a tremendous impact on the team he can really help the Nuggets nuggets need to sign him he got a four four and a half million dollar deal for two years nuggets did not get him they suffer all year because of it iio is my dude this season IO has literally everything you need to get it done now convincing the Bulls is going to be the question because the Bulls might be looking at him and saying he’s young enough that we can build around him and he’s also like going to be a part of our like future bench rotation but again they just let Alec Kusa walk this team is trying to dump contracts as it is and the really big option that’s more than likely not going to happen but again this is a longer bigger dream proposal and again I’m not advocating for this at all but there’s a world in which because of Zack Laine contract is so massive he’s making 43 this next season 45 or 46 really the season after that and then he has a$ 48.9 million player option and he’s 29 years old what if the Denver Nuggets got in on Zack LaVine sweep stakes and told the Bulls that we will absolutely trade for Zack LaVine but you got to give us IO and then that’s the mpj trade now again not saying they should do that not saying they should do that but if they’re already trying to move off of mpj’s deal and they want to get somebody that they know can play next to Jamal and be a guard and also be another score like another good to Great score at times then that’s how you do that and then you also fortify the bench and you replace kcp so what this does then is you trade out mpj it’s Jamal Murray Zack LaVine Payton Watson elevates as the starter then you have Julian strawther behind him and obviously Christian Brown uh and then from there you have uh Aaron Gordon and Nika yic now Zach have to buy in defensively obviously but again that’s the that’s the pipe dream like if the Bulls are saying that we’re only going to do this if we collectively make this trade happen with this and this that’s an option but by far Bar None PG was on the rumor mill by the way uh with the Denver Nuggets this sounded like it was like over a month ago uh because they the Nuggets were hesitant to put all their trade assets in there the Clippers apparently wanted that which at the time the Nuggets had access to six second round picks and then he had access to the 20 31 first and then their 2024 first it sound like it happened before the draft so they would have traded the 2024 first the 2031 first and then maybe five first round picks for Paul George and they would have got Paul George mpj I if you know that’s that’s that’s a lot for Paul but again that would have made the Nuggets better across the hole because Paul’s just a better overall player offensive and defens defensively the npj and then on the other end of is Klay Thompson is on the rumor meal for the Denver Nuggets again they would have to to get zek Naji off of their books and then sign clay to like a twoyear or threee at that 17 Mark and then fill out the rest of the roster with the uh veteran minimum which is like your Eric Gordon and again maybe Chris dun all that stuff so they can replace clay for kcp that’s also another option again that also feels unrealistic at this juncture I think the best deals for them are getting io on the trade with Zeke Naji and getting and getting r that first and then on the other end of this getting Chris Dunn Off the Bench and then also you can sign another player like Eric Gordon if you need to but 1,00% they’re going to have to improve this roster if kcp is not on it it is unacceptable for them to do anything else if kcp is not on the roster so they can still be a contender that can still win a title but you just relying on Jaylen picket Julian strawther Christian Brown and Payton Watson and then Don Holmes II to be the ones to do that as youngans even where the CBA is that’s a big ass so y’all let me know what y’all think in the comments section do this sound crazy what do y’all think of some of these deals I proposed what do y’all think of some of the players that are on the market that the Nuggets could have access to who do you think the nuggets should Target if kcp were to walk y’all this is lockdown nugget this is your boy swiper we’ll see y’all on Sunday night and then we’ll have a whole week of episodes upcoming with all the offseason covers that you can ask for see y’all on the other side

The Denver Nuggets look like they could be facing a future without KCP and this is a tough pill to swallow for many Nuggets fans. IF KCP does not resign, what are some options available to replace his production?

Paul George and Klay Thompson have been on the rumor mill for Denver but are these even realistic options for Denver?
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