Speaker 1: What is up, fella, Siko's I am Dana Valley coming
at you with what I think is the first NBA
trade deadline primer from us that you will be listening
or watching to, not including the Hawks, Washington Wizards, Trey
Young trade reaction. We got up. We're on too. We're
beginning with the Denver Nuggets. However, whatever order this is
releasing in, Before we get started, I'd like to ask
my certified fantabulous co host, mister Grant Hughes, how the
heck are you?
Speaker 2: I am more flexible than the Denver Nuggets will be
at the trade deadline Dan, So that's not saying much,
but so I guess that's good. Could be worse, Like
maybe put it that way, could.
Speaker 1: Be worse is always a nice thing to hear. Let's
get into the Denver Nuggets' is trade deadline vitals? Would
you like to take us through something?
Speaker 2: Police? Certainly, they are about four hundred grand over the tax,
so they can take back more money than they send out. However,
they do not have any first round picks to trade.
They can swap this year first rounder their twenty twenty
six first rounder. Your mileage you may vary on that
one as Denver, well, maybe it's a little more valuable
now since all the injuries will result in their record
being worse regular season wise, So that's not nothing. It's
also not something spectacular. They can offer conditional swaps in
twenty eight, thirty and thirty one. They have a couple
trade exceptions worth at least putting on the radar six
point nine million from the Michael Porter junior deal that
expires in July and five point four million from the
Dario Sarich trade that expired July as well. Yeah, I
mean to have anything to show for just really impressive work.
So Dan, that's That's the long and short of a
Denver situation that is inflexible because they've been contending for
a long time and because they've been willing to move
distant future picks like the MPJ deal would be an
example of. So not a lot to get through here
other than maybe starting here, the first thing to talk
about is their tax situation, because they're so close to
getting under They're so close, except it's not that easy.
If your concern is like, we would like to have
the best team possible once everybody's healthy and we try
to go on or run through the West, so like
a full salary dump like you might otherwise see in
the situation. Uh, not really in the cards. Most likely
it would be disappointing if that's the way.
Speaker 1: Isn't getting traded straight up?
Speaker 2: That doesn't get you a first He had a game
the other day as we're recording this.
Speaker 1: I mean, like you got to strike while the iron's hot.
Speaker 2: See if you can do anything there. Do you think that?
I mean, the answer seems pretty obvious, like do you
think they'll try to duckt the tax from four hundred
grand above it?
Speaker 1: Yes, but I do think we need to clarify why
they're actually gonna duckt the tax. It doesn't and if
we've said it, we were mistaken. I don't think we did.
It's not to reset the repeater clock. It's because they're
basically in the second Aprin next year. Like it's just
guaranteed unless there's some major changes, even if you don't
have yonas valent If you're keeping yonas Valentunis and or
Peyton Watson, who's about to come up as well in
the next season, you are almost assuredly a second Apron team.
Speaker 2: And by the way, Peyton Watson looking increasingly like, oh no, expensive,
that's right, expensive, increasingly like maybe he should have been
the guy to get paid instead of Christian Brown. A
lot of oopsie is happening.
Speaker 1: Christian Brown recording this on Friday is probable for Friday's game,
though he's coming back. He's coming back to show Peyton Watson.
Speaker 2: Not his work cut out for him, if he's gonna
eclipse what people have been seeing from Peyton Watson lately.
Speaker 1: But the reason you ducked the tax if you're Denver,
is yes, they have proven they will pay the tax.
They've proven they will pay their own players. You duck
the tax now because one, you're just so fucking close,
but also you then get the revenue from the other
teams that are paying into the tax. And if you're
the cronkeys and you're just looking at this from a
business perspective, you're about to go into the second apron
and just pay gobs of tax next year, you want
to get some revenue this year while you can it's
feasible to get it this year. And so that's why
I'd be fairly surprised if they don't duck the tax now.
The scale at which they do it will be as
part of a larger move or is it something you know?
Are they so desperate that if you can't find someone
to take on hunter Tyson alone, that you would attach
a second round pick to him, like you're only is
it their only second round pick? They could trade the
twenty thirty two second round pick is I wouldn't put
it past them because I think that's how Again, financially,
speaking from an asset perspective, No, that's not the right
thing to do. But because you are, like you're gonna
be a repeater payer next year, you want to get
the revenue this season while you can, And I think
that's that's what we need to understand about their text.
Is that no, just because they're out of the tax
this year. No, they're not all of a sudden restarting
the repeater clock. They need to do it for two seasons.
Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, No, I think I don't know my reaction
whenever I see we've had a couple of these. Actually
we've spoiler. We've recorded other teams before you're hearing this,
but sorry, hey listen, they can listen. This is the
behind the paywall tier, right, so people get to know,
like how this works. Is that not a thing? But like,
if you're this close to the tax line and you're
over it, I'm always kind of like you messed up
somewhere because you see a lot of other teams that
are like a couple hundred grand under and you're like,
good job, fellas, that's like a very Miami heat thing
to do, or like like other teams seem like they
really count every penny. You can't be this close and
then not get under that, that's just forget the like, yes,
are you going to be over the apron?
Speaker 1: But are you saying if they don't get under it,
it's a failure. Are you saying they failed by not
already being under it?
Speaker 2: Both the bigger failure would be not getting under it
now to me, But like because you've kind of something
got weird if you're this close but you're not under.
Speaker 1: It, Because so forget about how the Cam Johnson trade
has panned out. But like the steps they took to
get here, I would almost applau where it's okay, what
was the thing we said, let's see how you use
this additional flexibility by getting camp Johnson. You went out
and you did the Jonus founcun his trade and then
what they could have done is not signed Tim Hardaway
Junior or Bruce Brown, who it turns out just in
terms of being bodies are, but Tim Hardaway Junior certainly matters. Yeah,
what would you be willing to wrap up the tax stuff?
Peyton Watson has graduated from we're using him to duck
the town that you're getting value if you're doing that,
Oh yeah, you would absolutely, I think trade even though
challeng Picket's important now too, I think you would move
Picket if a team wants some Hunter Tyson for sure.
Here's here is an interesting question. What if it's Julian Strawther.
Speaker 2: I mean, I think obviously he's you would be more
reluctant to move him than any of any of Like
you just went through the Pickett TII de Ron Holmes.
Speaker 1: I think, oh would you move those guys?
Speaker 2: I think if your whole, if you count on the
roster being fully held, like yeah, I think I think
Strather is someone that and maybe Strather is someone that
has enough value that moving him for somebody. What does
he make? I mean nothing?
Speaker 1: Getting under by more than four hundred thousand dollars, Well,
that's the thing like, I think you can you could
stomach losing any of those guys we've mentioned.
Speaker 2: You can't. It can't be Watson obviously. Holmes, I don't know.
Maybe would you be more willing to move homes than
than Strather, just because if you assume Jokics is back
healthy and then you got Valancies.
Speaker 1: I don't know what's gonna happen with Jonas valentiunis after
the season. It feels like he's just gone. Probably, so
I rather have the cost controlled big there and then
I don't I don't even think the Nuggets. No, they
say this about Holmes too, but the fact that Julian
Strather is now in year three, I don't think the
Nuggets know what they have or understand how they should
value Julian Strather.
Speaker 2: He is.
Speaker 1: I've seen games where it's he really feels like he
could be an offensive firecracker, and it's all like even
something on the ball, pops. I've watched games and it's, oh,
he went to a four from the foul line and
I felt like, I he like, what was he doing?
So I would move? I would dumb Julian Strather if
push came to show.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think another thing to think about this maybe
isn't fair, but like it took Watson until a week ago,
two weeks ago, I mean certainly told for the Nuggets
to be like, oh, okay, obviously they didn't. They didn't
who knows, who knows if what the negotiations were like
on an extension for him, But like it took until now.
And sometimes on a really good team where roles are
super defined and like touches are hard to come by,
it just takes longer for a young player to show
you like what he might be able to do. So
Strawther's a year behind in terms of of like development
wise and contracts stuff, you'd be no. I think the
reason I asked you about Holmes versus Strawther is like,
I think those are the two that you could actually,
you know, get you might actually get something you can't
probably not get anything. You're just dumping the money.
Speaker 1: I would.
Speaker 2: I think if it's just this year, I might rather
move Ah, that's so hard. I think I might rather
move homes if it's just this year.
Speaker 1: Well, you know that you're not gonna get homes back
next year, right, It's how you get to move him
this year?
Speaker 2: And he come, No, I'm just thinking of like the
Nuggets maximal competitive, Like I'm straw the might matter more.
Speaker 1: Then you go yeah, then you just go with the
big because if Yo Kich isn't healthy, what, there's no point.
Speaker 2: In doing it well. And like Aaron, even if Valentnis
is if he for the point, like yeah, Valentin is
coming off the books whatever, But like Aaron Gordon can
play center. Aaron Gordon has played center in the past.
Like you're okay depth wise, I don't know. It's a
tough call. You could talk to me one way or
the other.
Speaker 1: I can tell you're a professional podcaster because you segued
us into the Peyton Watson talk. Graham, what do they
do with Peyton? Now it's you. You could just say
you keep him and you figure it out this summer
stupid And that's probably the answer. But he's headed to
restricted free agency. They could technically be in the second
apron without him, depending on what happens with Jonas valentiunis
how much are you will let and how much there
will be teams with more money around. And I know
people joke about free agency, including myself, turning into a farce,
especially restricted free agency. This is my favorite. Who's who's
the last RFA to get an offer sheeet grant? You
know they.
Speaker 2: Oh, Paul Reid yep.
Speaker 1: So that's why it's funny. But Peyton Watson, especially this
version of Peyton Watson. You look at, oh, some ball
handling stuff, three pointer going down in a higher clip,
the stuff he still does, disruptive defense, It's like, oh, like,
that's a guy who can make plays at the rim,
who can stick with guys on the perimeter. Someone's gonna
give him an offer sheet. And I think if we
were recording this at the start of the season, you
could have said, well, maybe they could keep him for
like something twelve to fourteen million annually. I don't think
he's gonna get more than Christian Brown, but I think
that we've entered like eighteen plus million dollars if he
keeps this up. And I'm not saying score points a game.
If this is just the season he has, we're firmly
in like probably eighteen plus million dollar territory, right, which
is less than Christian Brown.
Speaker 2: To be clear, I'm I'm bumping on is he gonna
get more than Christian Brown?
Speaker 1: I mean, like, so you know what, the Bulls could
have cap space, So you're right, there's definitely there's that's.
Speaker 2: Well, yeah, I guess, like and the Wizards, I mean,
why not.
Speaker 1: Well, I was more so trolling the Bulls that they're
gonna down Patrick Williams special.
Speaker 2: But I mean at this point, like what does Brown
do better than Watson?
Speaker 1: I thought I thought you were gonna say it, what
does Brown do for you?
Speaker 2: Talk you by well, I mean it's kind of like
an unfair thing because there are different positionally, and like
maybe you trust Brown on smaller guards more.
Speaker 1: I think it comes down to this for me, I
shouldn't boil it down to it. Who do you trust
to guard Anthony Edwards more, Christian Brown or Peyton Watson.
Speaker 2: I mean, I guess it's Brown. I'm sure there's Nuggets
fans some of them are screaming like, well, Watson's length
just an athleticism matters more. But yeah, I thinks Brown
has the track record, I guess in the consistency, and
he's been in a larger role for longer. But if
Watson really is I like, the the thirty nine percent
three point shooting, it's low volume. But if Watson is
league average or better from three, like that's just and
like some of the in between stuff he's shown lately
with with more opportunities. Watson looks, I that's like, you
really can't let that guy go. I think, so, what
are they gonna do with him? Why isn't this just
a at worst like preserve the asset restrictive free agency,
come on back situation?
Speaker 1: Now? I think what gets interesting? And I'm not saying
this is the reason you do it, but if he
is now someone who can get you off of Zeke
Nagy's contract, whereas the trade that we've thrown I'm not
saying just that, but the trade that we have thrown
out is Peyton Watson Zeke Nagy for iod Soon MoU
or if you want to go a step above, what
if you could now do a swap Peyton Watson Nausey
smaller salary X throw it in there and you're getting
Kobe White.
Speaker 2: I would say, I think Watson has moved past the
point of he's something we're gonna use to get off
a contract for in nause that is like it's not
good money, but it's all what is it? Seven million dollars?
I know, I know the tax and apron stuff, so
it's not really just seven next year. But like what
if Watson is I mean, he's like a two way
starter with athleticism and upside and like maybe some shot creation.
Like that's not a guy you used to get off
seven million bucks for next year, it's a guy you
trade for. Like, yeah, we'll take two firsts after we
signed this next deal, we'll take two first back. And
I don't know, like right, like, am i I'm keeping him?
Speaker 1: I don't know what I mean? And that could be.
So let's talk about what Denver need. But I'm my
default is I'm not looking. I'm not trading Peyton Watson
because of his free agency, or I'm not trading Peyton
Watson because it gets me off of Zeke Nasci. No way,
I'm officially at that point. Yeah, yeah, what does Denver need?
You look at this roster aside from healthier bodies? But
oh wait, can I ask another awkward question? This this
falls and needs I guess please, would you like, do
you consider if the if the front office use it
as well? How can we afford that they could just
pay Watson and be done with it? But do you
would all consider should we investigate like does Cam Johnson
have any value left? Like are we more are we
more prepared to pay Peyton Watson and Christian Brown?
Speaker 2: Then that was one of my like one of my
notes coming into this on my own docs, so you
can't see it, but it's like, why aren't we like
can we talk about It's funny, like we're both me
like pretend like off the injury kind of throws it
injury and it's like so, but then you would also say,
like if we're talking about needs, which we are, you'd say, like,
I'd be nice to have like a like MPG level
shooter that we could really count, And like Cam Johnson's
supposed to be that guy. So if you trade him
because you're worried about tax and whatever, it's like, I
guess if Watson doubles his volume and stays at this percentage,
then you're good. But you know what I mean, like
I think their needs still might be Now that's well
backing up Denver's needs are just get healthy because I
think we both agree that, like if they're fully stocked,
it's it's it's the thunder who have been mortal for
a month now and it's them, And then you you
slot in Minnesota has been hotter than anybody. But I
still like Denver better. Just if I got to pick one,
maybe maybe shooting still, but I guess it's I don't know.
Speaker 1: Who's the last player they had where the shooting could
be folded into, like you, because they either have players
who provide the defense or the high volume shooting. Who's
the last guy that provided them with both in.
Speaker 2: One as the Warriors earlier this year when he hit
like eleven of them.
Speaker 1: Gordon against the Thunder in the playoffs last year.
Speaker 2: Yeah, there you go. Yeah, well, I mean right, I
mean maybe again, Maybe that's Watson's value is if he
could do both of those things going forward. I don't know,
we probably should stop talking about Watson. We've already made them.
Speaker 1: Well. I think this is your Maine too, because I
would agree with you on the shooting. I could see.
I like the idea of I like another ball handler here,
Like it's cool that you could trust Peyton Watson to
do some things, or you have Bruce Brown, but someone
like even I would assume getting downhill, getting two feet
in the paint, that type of guy, somebody who's gonna
give you more than or you would expect to give
you more than Jail and Pickett in a playoff series.
Those are the two things I have circled. The problem
is is that if you're not willing to move Peyton Watson,
how are you dressing any of these needs? Because I
don't think could you use swaps and Zeke Nausey's salary
to get anybody. I don't know if swaps. Honestly, I
think even if you weren't getting anybody, I don't know
if that swaps or getting you off of the Zeke Nausey.
Speaker 2: Well, maybe they do. If you go out as far
as possible, which would be thirty and thirty one, I
think you could find a team that might want to
buy into the potential post Jokic prime section of Denver's future.
So like, if you view Nausea as just dead money, again,
it's not that much. If I'm like if I'm Brooklyn,
or if I'm Washington or Utah or whatever, teams with
a little bit of flexibility and a history of some
in some cases wanting those distant shares of a team's
potential downside, Like I'm taking nausea, I'm taking a seven
million dollar hit next year for a shot at if
they're like depending on the protections of swapping with Denver
in like the twenty thirties, aren't you like that's I
think that's worth it if you've got the flexibility.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I I think we over romanticize the rights to
those distant picks because the front officers who are trading
for them probably understand that they're not going to be
the front office. Yeah, we're exercising them, and that's that's
the p and no in a vacuum. I agree with you,
But I think that's why swaps alone wouldn't be enough
to get off of contract.
Speaker 2: Maybe not right because if it is a human who
is employed making that decision, ultimately, like at the ownership level,
you should do that. But if it's a general manager,
they're not exactly incentivized to set the next guy up
for a good draft pick potentially coming in. I mean,
the nuggets are tricky. Well, let me ask you a
more global question. I know we have a couple of
other topics to hit here, but like of the teams
that we they just seem like a team that duck
the tax by moving off one of these two million
dollar guys and attaching a something and call it good, right, Like,
realistically this is not a team, Like, wouldn't you be
shocked if if they're not trading Watson? I don't think,
because that would logically would be something you'd consider normally
with free agency approaching. But like that, I think that's
off the table. And then after that it's like what
are we talking about?
Speaker 1: But with the RFA stuff, you could probably average signing
trade scenarios. So that's also why you don't. The only
reason I could think of is we think Spencer Jones
is ready, We're gonna convert him, and that's how But that, like,
is that more of a reason to get rid of
Christian Brown at this point? I think it's just we've
been so long since we saw Christian Brown play, it's
kind of unfair. But to your point, the other issue
you run into is even if you can do something,
if the Nuggets are healthy, like how deep, like how much?
How good does the player need to be so you
have Aaron Gordon, Christian Brown, Jamal Murray, Nicole Jokic, Peyton Watson,
Cam Johnson has to be in there are all just
locks to be in the rotation, So you have to
be better than like are you getting a seventh best
player or an eighth best player when you're in the
Spencer Jones, Tim Hardaway, Junior, Bruce Brown, Jonas Valencunas territory,
it needs to be better than like most like the
player you're getting, I think for it to be worthwhile
needs to be better than most of those players that
I just named.
Speaker 2: Right and given the tools they have to like sweeten
things which are few, Like how do you do? How
is that even possible? Like maybe maybe like fit wise,
you could find someone who's like roughly as valuable on
balance as Brown or Hardaway Bruce Brown, But like it
feels like it would be like, well, he's close to
his good he's just different, like we want this box
checked and we don't care about it'd be like lateral
moves I think in most cases. So so yeah, like
that's part of the reason is like it's hard to envision,
beyond the tax ducking, what a move would look like.
And if you don't think that nause is movable for
for what Denver would be willing to pay to move him,
then it's then it's you're making little lateral moves in
your eight through eleven spots in your rotation maybe do.
Speaker 1: You have any targets specifically that would be like, so
I have I have a trade like throw logistics out
the window, like don't say Luka Doncics or something, but
just like anyone you think that fits some of the
needs that we that we outlined.
Speaker 2: I mean, if you brought it up and I was
going to who's like the it's got to be what's
Cam Johnson make twenty one this year, twenty three next?
So who's like the nineteen ish or nineteen to twenty
million dollar player that maybe has longer on his deal
or something that you could turn Cam Johnson?
Speaker 1: Who I don't know. I don't I would be curious
as to what Cam Johnson's value is right.
Speaker 2: Now, right right? I mean the contract's reasonable for like
I think he still is a starter, like Jeremy Grant
makes way too much that he's not under that like
Kobe White again, but like what does Kobe White do
for you if you're Denver? Because there's your other ball
handler he makes less than Johnson?
Speaker 1: Are you ever is he part? Does he ever have?
He's not closing going to be a free agent. He's
not closing, and then you have to pay him that's weird.
Speaker 2: Well, maybe you do it because you're cleaning up next
year's books two and you're saying some of that money's
going to be allocated for Watson and his next deal.
I don't know, it's it's all like trick.
Speaker 1: I wonder. I think he's probably too cheap for them
to be like vit Crachy would be good for Denver's.
Like it's like a ball hand. He chucks a bunch
of boxes on certain nights, depending on whether the shots falling.
Speaker 2: What are you giving up to? Are you in a
Johnson deal?
Speaker 1: Oh? No, No, I wasn't saying I was in general
at yeah, just in general, I mean Cam Johnson deal specifically?
Do you trade him to No, that's tupid. Like what
about Cam Johnson for for KCP and Cam Spencer? That'd
be really funny.
Speaker 2: He'd be coming back? Is Cam Spencer? Cam Spencer clearly
the best like dollar for production value player in that group?
Speaker 1: Right?
Speaker 2: Yeah, we run into the same thing. Uh, Like again,
I like Cam Spencer a lot, and CACP I would
just assume would be better once back in Denver. Are
either of them gonna get rotation minutes over Johnson? This?
I don't know, maybe no, like that wud be hard
something even here I'm.
Speaker 1: Trying to think of, let's say you're willing to attach
the twenty thirty two second first round swaps. I don't know,
like what's the upgrade that you like, the realistic upgrade
upgrade you'd be chasing in that salary range. That's what's
tough because they have to be better then, because you
could talk about there might be ones who're better defensively,
but it comes with an offensive trade off there then it's.
Speaker 2: With no sweeteners. It's like, yeah, I mean, I'm the
cam Johnson thinks starts. The more you look at it
kind of feels like a dead end. I don't know
what they do there.
Speaker 1: I don't.
Speaker 2: I don't have a lot on this team, honestly, Like
it's I think it's Picket or Tyson or whatever, and
you duck the tax and you probably call it good,
like I don't. I mean, maybe you want to free
up money for Watson.
Speaker 1: Well, and could you also if we're looking additively, kean
Ellis is so cheap that is that twenty thirty two
second enough to get you there with the Kings or
can they do better a first round swap and that second.
Speaker 2: Don't they have to do better than that? For Ellis?
I would assume Elie's market will be pretty Uh.
Speaker 1: They're not gonna get a first round pick for him standalone, though,
do you think will?
Speaker 2: They Probably not a real one. It could see, I
could see like a one that turns into a couple seconds.
Speaker 1: Maybe I'm contractually obligated to mention him for every team,
but this salary range wise, he would certainly fit justin Champenne.
If Washington looks and sees how many wings they have
and decides, hey, we could we could move this guy.
Speaker 2: I mean, yeah, I could see that. I have you
did you bring up the soon MoU yet?
Speaker 1: So I have a trade that evolves assummu? That's the
one like it would have to be. So you're giving
I'll say all the swaps, even though twenty twenty six
doesn't matter. We could say all the swaps to make
it sound splash. Here, all the swaps your second round pick,
Doron Holmes, Zeke Nagy, Julian Strawther for Jallen Smith and
Io Desumu.
Speaker 2: Hmm, what there swaps against this? You're give him three
swaps this year? Though?
Speaker 1: The are the Bulls swapping with the Nuggets are really
like two swaps. Oh right.
Speaker 2: I was looking at the condition So the conditional twenty eight,
thirty and thirty one's.
Speaker 1: And those are conditional upon the Nuggets conveying their first
round pick, like to okay sees that they have that
pick availble to swap.
Speaker 2: God, if we entered the era where it's like even
swaps are like, I don't know, we'll see just because
every tea. I guess the Nuggets are unusual in that
they're so leveraged with pick.
Speaker 1: So let's just let's frame it this way. Two swaps
a second round pick. Zeke Nagy's contract is going out,
and you're getting Holmes and Strawther as the Bulls, and
you're sending out Jalen Smith and Iota Summu.
Speaker 2: I think you probably, I think both sides probably do that.
I mean again, it's the Bulls so like they rarely
do what they should. I think the Bulls should do that.
Speaker 1: I like the other thing you do if you were
looking to consolidate salary, is that instead of Zeke Najy,
if you think that Gordon's gonna play center in the playoffs,
you'll get just healthy. You could trade Jonas Valentiunis instead
of Zeke nag and then hope.
Speaker 2: That then you and the team gets off the hook
because that's fully non guaranteed next year, right the ten million.
Speaker 1: For Yeah, and I don't think he wants to be
in the NBA anymore.
Speaker 2: Still, he's here begrudgingly after Maybe he just didn't want
to be on the Kings. You ever thought of that?
Speaker 1: Didn't seem like you wanted to be on the Nuggets
at one point either, But I guess they was.
Speaker 2: That was a weird stretch, Okay. I I kind of
like that, and I like you get Smith adds a
kind of a different element for them. For for Denver,
I should say, and who is the other guy you're
getting with Smith?
Speaker 1: Uh?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm in. I'm in on that for Denver.
Speaker 1: Now here's would you like the would you like the problem?
Speaker 2: I'd love the problem?
Speaker 1: So the problem if you're the if you're the Nuggets,
do you push to include Jonas Valentnis because you would
be able to like because you're adding money in that trade,
you're going into the tax by you're all of a sudden,
like three million dollars into the tax rather than half
a million dollars away from ducking it.
Speaker 2: I would say you maybe, because like how many minutes
is is Valentunis gonna play with Jokic in the postseason,
Like if you think that's like one of your one
of your weapons, you might hesitate, But I think realistically
you'll get You'll play forty three minutes in all the
games that really matter in the playoffs, and then Aaron
Gordon probably plays some more of those, or maybe Valentunis
is playing less than ten and Smith he's so right,
so like you you would, He's not that big of
a lot. He's not as big of a loss as
it might seem.
Speaker 1: You're actually still adding money in that trade by two
hundred thousand dollars. Honestly, if I can get off Zeke
Naugy like I'm doing it, and then it's just you
know what you missed out on the revenue this year,
and you Reckoncile, that's and you if you really wanted to,
you could probably Well you're going three for two here already,
So I'm gonna say you could just send like one
of your someone would take Bruce Brown or Tim Hardaway Junior. Yeah,
well you could just do a separate trade for Valentunis.
Is it a trade that you get you a cheaper
player or something, so you could still figure out wheys
if you trade zechnology as part of this deal, it'd
be easier to figure out how to get out of
the tax. Honestly, then maybe if you trade Valentunis and
only have that two hundred, like to shave the half
a million dollars just because you're out of you unless
just some team really wants to jail, like you're just
sort of out of moves that you've traded every single
like out of.
Speaker 2: Moves is how I would describe Denver just generally speaking.
Speaker 1: But I just made one you're welcomes how much?
Speaker 2: Isn't there real value though, from Denver's perspective in just
not bringing Valentunis back and earmarking the ten million dollars
you would have paid him for the twenty five you're
gonna have to give Peyton Watson.
Speaker 1: For sure. So I'm saying, like, if you get off
of his echnology and then you let I'm just saying
this deal makes it harder for the Nuggets to get
out of the tax. Is how are you getting out
of the tax if you've now you could either move
Oununus for a cheaper player or what like you've traded
he not, but you have nothing to attach to anybody
to say here and at that point, because they're at
fifteen players right now, right and you're also want to
convert Spencer Jones. So that's like the that's the challenge.
I mean, I would do it. That's I just feel
like that's I don't know if the Bulls would. I
think the even with Denver's tax situation, I think the
Bulls are the team here that would say no.
Speaker 2: Yeah, maybe it's hard to say. I mean, one of
the things we're running up against here when we're looking
for like options for Denver is that it doesn't it
feel kind of like, I guess Brown is really the
player I'm talking about, Like, I don't know that other
teams around the league value Christian Brown at the dollar
amount the Nuggets are paying him. Does that does that
seem fair? Like? I think I don't know.
Speaker 1: And the other thing the other thing that we have
and I totally forgot, is that he's poison pilled, so
moving him as he.
Speaker 2: He's not going anywhere. I'm just saying in general, like
the Nuggets because of the way they've conducted business over
the years. I feel like, I mean, Jamal Murray is
an example of this, probably like they and Gordon. Gordon's
kind of a universal fit enough that maybe he's that's
his market value on that extension he signed. But like
in general, I feel like the Nuggets and keeping this
team together the way they have, they have a lot
of guys that it's like they're being paid more than
another team would be willing to pay them. Brown in particular,
but yeah, he's going nowhere because the outgoing money is
like well or in like four point nine or something,
and then coming in it's like twenty one not happening.
So I think, So, who are the players you're thinking
of when you're saying that the Nuggets are paying them
more than other team?
Speaker 1: Is that Cam Johnson?
Speaker 2: Now?
Speaker 1: Is that where you're at? Because Murray Murray, I think
other teams might be, like, Murray's having a hell of
a year.
Speaker 2: Let me pull up there. Zeke Zeke nag is seven.
Speaker 1: Even player Aaron Gordon moving forward after this year is
probably Yeah, that's what I mean.
Speaker 2: So next year he's thirty two, then thirty four and
a half than thirty seven, and those will be his
age thirty one, thirty two to thirty three seasons, and
already it's like pretty clear he can't make it through
a full year and postseason healthy. So as much as
I love him, he he's I'm just listen. It's not
no judgment, just just saying I think maybe he is.
I think Brown definitely is probably paid more than the
market would pay Johnson I just said earlier, is it
seems okay just because of the shooting track record? Yeah,
Murray making fifty to fifty three, fifty seven the next
three years after this one, Murray's not a thirty percent
of the cap player, I don't think.
Speaker 1: Two. Finally, just adjust my trade if you're Denver, isn't
more palatable if you're attaching the stuff to his Ike
Nagy to get Io desum Wu alone rather than getting
Jalen Smith and Io Desummu.
Speaker 2: Hmm. I think I think probably. But then the question
is just where, like what Nause's impact is zero when
they're fully healthy? What's just soon moves? Like? Is he
gonna play fi? Yeah?
Speaker 1: I was gobna say, because he probably eats into minutes
for Brown Hardway Junior Strawther depending It's probably depending on
the matchup thing.
Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, I mean.
Speaker 1: Honestly, the deal, if you want to save maximum money,
you're gonna have to convert Spencer Jones after that. But
that's what they're gonna want to do is attached Strawther
to Nause. Hope he's viewed as like a mini sweetener,
and then use the swaps and the second round pick
and or maybe you keep.
Speaker 2: You keep some of the swaps and stuff out of
there since you have so little to move, like maybe
you create enough flexibility with that stuff thing.
Speaker 1: Well, for sure you keep this one. But if you're Chicago,
you're just taking Strowther in a twenty thirty two second
round pick to give up to Soon Moo and take
on Nase.
Speaker 2: That's like well if yeah, right, But if you're Chicago, like,
how confident are you that Dessum Mouve's coming back? You know?
Is he?
Speaker 1: I think? Would you rather have Nause off the books
for two more years or just let eye out to
super Walk for well?
Speaker 2: Right, okay, yeah, so the sweeteners still have to be there.
I guess it just depends on their view of Strawther.
Maybe they think Strawther is gonna be something I don't know.
Speaker 1: Do you have anything else? Are you ready to take
us out?
Speaker 2: I think we very clearly exhausted our Denver Nuggets thoughts.
Thanks everybody for listening, for watching. Remember rate review, subscribe, Share,
Share with all your friends, with all your Nuggets fans,
even though they probably like us or like I don't
know what Denver is gonna do at the deadline. Maybe
very little discord links for that in the YouTube podcast. Yeah, basically,
like the takeaway here for me was you need to
find ways to keep Payton Watson, and that probably means
you should just trade everybody else. I hope I convey that.
Shouts Frank no Keen. Apologies, Jared Allen