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The Denver Nuggets enter the second half of the season healthier and on the back of a 4-game winning streak. However, their year so far has been inconsistent and if they are to compete in the playoffs, there are several areas they need to address prior to the NBA's trade deadline.
Nikola Jokic has been, at times, a one-man wrecking crew for the Denver Nuggets and is firmly in the MVP race. Averaging career-high numbers across the board, the Serbian is having a monster campaign.
Putting up 27 points and 11 rebounds a night, Jokic has also improved his distribution, already registering 9 triple-doubles (4 shy of his record last season).
Despite this, the Nuggets are 5th in the West and still look a ways off the team that fought so hard to the Conference Finals. In this article, we will take a look at who the franchise may seek to bring in with less than a fortnight until the deadline.
Identifying where the Denver Nuggets 3 biggest needs lie ahead of the NBA trade deadline
After falling just short of the NBA Finals last season, the Denver Nuggets were expected to come into this year with a chip on their shoulder and revenge to be had.
That said, only Jokic did so in the early goings before his teammates caught up to pace. Sitting primed to break up the current top-4 in the West, the Nuggets will come into the market as buyers and will have plenty of names to pursue.
Let's take a look at a few that the Denver Nuggets front office will be eyeing up.
#1 Athletic two-way wing player
At this stage of the season, although improving, the Denver Nuggets' biggest weakness is on their perimeter. Jerami Grant was expected to fill that deficiency, however he then departed for Detroit and has since proven what his former side are missing.
To match up with the Los Angeles sides for versatility and athleticism on the wing, particularly against the likes of LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard, the Denver Nuggets need to make a move.
Orlando's Aaron Gordon and Sacramento's Harrison Barnes are the most obvious and fitting players to target, though they are pricey.
Having All-Star talent, however, may see the Denver Nuggets front office consider either player as a worthy acquisition. Both are experienced and effective enough on both ends to contribute in a conference semifinals or finals series, averaging over 13 points and 6 rebounds a night each.
#2 Back-up scoring guard
The Denver Nuggets enter the market as buyers, therefore it is unsurprising to see them linked to Orlando Magic players, a franchise who are ultimately sellers this year.
Terrence Ross is another Magic player the Nuggets may seek to bring in, adding more consistent scoring either from the bench or as a starter in place of Gary Harris.
Ross is averaging a career-high 15.5 points a night, 3.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals. Even though his shooting accuracy has decreased, his offensive output per 100 possessions has him averaging a personal best of 3.7 assists and 25.5 points.
Despite being younger, Gary Harris is a less prolific scorer. Struggling with injuries this season, the shooting guard has only played 15 games and is averaging his lowest points per game since his rookie year.
Ross could come in on a team-friendly deal and would add veteran experience come the Denver Nuggets playoff run.
#3 Household defender
Denver's defense ranks 16th in the NBA and while it wasn't particularly impressive last season, coach Malone will be more concerned with the fact that that ranks them 10th in the West. They are in the bottom half for opposition field-goal percentage, blocks and assists allowed.
That is where the likes of veteran forward PJ Tucker comes in. On the way out of Houston, Tucker will have several suitors ahead of the deadline and the Denver Nuggets could easily be among the favorites with their championship hopes.
Tucker is a robust and tenacious defender who can guard through multiple positions, which makes him invaluable come the offseason.
The 35 year-old is having one of his weakest offensive seasons, therefore the Nuggets may be wary. However, they do need stops and there are few in the league as experienced that can do so.
