DENVER (AP) — Denver Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth had big plans at the trade deadline in the form of acquiring another center or frontcourt player to serve as a backup to Nikola Jokic.
It didn't work out. So they elected not to tinker at all with a roster that's centered around Jokic, their three-time NBA MVP. The Nuggets remained quiet as other teams in the West made splashy moves (see: Golden State and Los Angeles Lakers ).
“I think the best way to describe it is we either had to go big or do nothing,” Booth explained Thursday night before the Nuggets hosted the Orlando Magic. “We definitely liked some guys in the market, and thought we had some traction in a couple different situations.
"Whether other teams just beat us out with their offers, or we just didn’t feel like it was the right use of our assets, a combination of those things just led us to be where we’re at right now.”
For now, Denver will rely on the 36-year-old DeAndre Jordan, maybe Zeke Nnaji or Dario Saric, when Jokic needs a breather. In the playoffs, it figures to be Aaron Gordon stepping into the role. Gordon has been dealing with a calf injury this season.
“As long as Aaron stays healthy, we should be OK at the backup 5,” Booth said. “But it is a concern of mine.”
Another concern: overall depth. By Booth's estimation, the Nuggets have six or seven players who are starters.
"We have a drop-off after that,” Booth said. “It’s not an insult to anybody ... those six or seven guys have played that well.”
Booth later said that if the Nuggets had swung for the fences with a move, it would've involved a rotational piece and not, say, Michael Porter Jr., whose name was mentioned in trade rumors.
“We weren’t close to doing anything with anybody in our rotation,” Booth said. “It was going to be some of the guys are outside of it, like, Dario and Zeke and using some of our draft assets to bolster our lineup, as opposed to moving a bigger guy like Mike.”
The biggest priority remains health, with Russell Westbrook (hamstring) and Peyton Watson (knee) currently sidelined. Jamal Murray missed the game Thursday due to inflammation in his left knee.
“We've got a lot of guys that are banged up and are in and out of the lineup,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “But this is who we have. The deadline is over, everybody can take a deep breath and just focus on the task at hand.”
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