Should Denver Make a Move Before the Deadline?

The March 15th trade deadline is quickly approaching and Denver, like many contenders, will be asking themselves one simple question.

Should we make a move before the trade deadline?

Denver already had quite the productive off-season as Nene and Arron Afflalo were re-signed. Shortly after the season began, Denver signed Danilo Gallinari and Kosta Koufos to extensions as well.

The Nuggets have prided themselves on being a successful team without a big name superstar. But with all of the valuable assets that Denver has at its disposal, is it time for the Nuggets to dangle some of them in the market in hope of bringing a superstar to Denver?

The answer for now, is No.

It appears that the majority of Denver's roster isn't going anywhere. However Denver has made it known that reserve center, Chris Anderson, is on the trading block and it is only a matter of time before they start entertaining offers for Andre Miller if they haven't already.

 

[caption id="attachment_266" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Denver's decision to start Ty Lawson (Right) over Andre Miller (Left) means that Miller will likely be on the move. (Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)"][/caption]

Andre Miller

 

There are many things about Miller's play this year as well as his contract that could make him an attractive option for multiple teams.

Miller has done most of his damage off the bench for the first time since his rookie year. Miller is averaging 10.3 points, 6.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game in only 29 minutes. Despite being about to turn 36, Miller has only missed four games his entire career which is certainly an alluring statistic.

Miller has expressed his desire to start and while he still possesses the ability to start on a lot of teams, Denver isn't one of them.

Miller is also in the last year of his deal which is worth $7.8 million. This is an extremely appealing contract considering $7.8 million isn't an absurd amount of money plus they don't have a long term commitment to him. And since it isn't looking like Miller is going to re-sign with Denver, The Nuggets really don't have much to lose by moving him.

Some of the teams that could be interested in Miller are the Pacers, Lakers and the Trail Blazers

 

[caption id="attachment_267" align="alignright" width="203" caption="Chris Anderson's increase in productivity has caused his stock to rise on the trade market. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)"][/caption]

The Birdman

 

 

Anderson might be a bit more difficult to move. The Birdman has two more years and $9.3 million left on his contract which is a tad pricey for a backup center.

However, The Birdman has picked things up as of late and is starting to gain some buzz among contenders in need of a backup big man. Anderson may not be as attractive as Miller as far as his production and contract is concerned, but there is a lot more interest among playoff bound teams in a backup center than a starting point guard.

Denver has the option of trying to trade Miller and Anderson separately, but the Nuggets will likely get more bang for their buck if they package Miller and Anderson together.

 

[caption id="attachment_268" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Al Harrington's (Right) time with the Nuggets is likely dependent on Denver's decision to keep or trade Wilson Chandler (Left). (Photo from Denver Post)"][/caption]

The Impact of the Wilson Chandler Saga.

The March 1st deadline has passed which means if Chandler wants to play in the NBA this year, it can only be in a Denver uniform.

The two sides have been working on a new contract since Monday. Denver has made it very clear that a one-year deal which would last the rest of the season rendering Chandler an unrestricted free agent this summer is out of the question.

The other options are for Denver and Chandler to agree on a long term deal, or Chandler has threatened to go play in Italy for the remainder of the season and become a restricted free agent this summer.

If Denver and Chandler come to terms with a long term contract and Denver decides not to trade Chandler over the summer, that will mean that Al Harrington will likely be moved. According to the CBA rules, Chandler can't be signed and then traded during this season, so Denver's decision will have to wait until this summer. As a result, it is likely Harrington will stay in Denver for the rest of the year.

What would Denver want in return.

It doesn't look like Denver would be able to get a player worthy of unseating any of its starters. So it looks as if Denver will look to add to an already impressive bench. Miller's departing would open up a vacancy for backup point guard. Rudy Fernandez will become a restricted free agent next year so Denver might look for a shooting guard as well.

In the next article we will look at potential trades that Denver could make as well as some out of the question trades that would only happen in my dreams.

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