Trade Reports: On December 15, three Nuggets Stars will become available for Deal
The Denver Nuggets have dealt with the injury bug in the first quarter of the season but are still one of the top teams in the West. That’s how it goes when you have Nikola Jokic on your team.
There was doubt surrounding Denver’s bench after players like Bruce Brown and Jeff Green signed elsewhere over the summer. It turns out that doubt was for good reason. The Nuggets have one of the best starting fives in the league, but their second unit has struggled.
Denver could look to the trade market for a solid role player (or two). Outside of that, the Nuggets shouldn’t be overly active leading up to Feb. 8. Trade rumors will start to heat up on Dec. 15, when most players who signed free agency deals in the offseason will be eligible to be traded.
If Calvin Booth wanted to include one of these three players in a trade, he could. But should he?
3 Denver Nuggets who will be eligible to be traded on Dec. 15
Justin Holiday signed a one-year, $3.2 million deal with the Nuggets in free agency, meaning he’ll be eligible to be traded later this week.
Holiday has appeared in 12 games (four starts), averaging 4.8 points per contest, shooting 57.9% from the field and 51.9% from deep. Those are expected numbers for him, considering he hasn’t averaged more than 4.5 points per game in the past two seasons.
The 34-year-old was a solid pickup by Denver, filling in as a starter when needed. In the Nuggets’ 119-111 win over the Suns on Dec. 1, Holiday dropped a season-high 15 points (6-of-8 from the field, 3-of-5 from three) in 25 minutes.
There’s no need for Denver to look to trade Holiday, as he’s done what’s asked of him (if not more). It helps, too, that he’s been in the league since 2012 and can be another valuable veteran voice in a locker room full of young players.
2. DeAndre Jordan
DeAndre Jordan was one of the first players to sign a free agency deal in 2022, and Denver didn’t hesitate to re-sign him this past summer. The 35-year-old has found a home in Colorado.
After averaging 5.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game last season, Jordan’s averaging 5.7 points and 4.6 rebounds across seven games in 2023-24. He looked like vintage DeAndre on Nov. 27 when he scored 27 points and added 13 rebounds against the Clippers.
Barring an injury, Jordan isn’t a player who will receive consistent minutes in the rotation, but that doesn’t mean the Nuggets will look to trade him.
The Denver Nuggets most likely won’t trade DeAndre Jordan
Jordan’s career was given new life when he signed with Denver. The front office knew the player they were getting, and he exceeded their expectations, or else he wouldn’t have been re-signed.
He has his faults (that’s what happens when you’ve been in the NBA since 2008), but he’s there to step in when Nikola Jokic is out of the lineup or needs a breather. Zeke Nnaji hasn’t performed as expected, and for that reason, Jordan should stay in Denver. If the Nuggets wanted to trade him, Jordan would have to approve it first.
1. Reggie Jackson
The hometown kid has been off to a solid start this season. Reggie Jackson is averaging 13.6 points and 4.5 assists per game, shooting 50.4% from the field and 42.2% from three. When Jamal Murray was out a month with a hamstring injury, Jackson stepped in to save the day.
He wasn’t a fixture in Denver’s rotation after the team signed him last February, but he’s exploded onto the scene (subscription required) this season.
The Denver Nuggets shouldn’t trade Reggie Jackson
Out of the three players on this list, Jackson has the slightest chance of being traded. Even with a healthy Murray, he’s a good role player to have on the bench. And when Murray’s out, Jackon’s there to fill in as the starting point guard. He’s been Denver’s Sixth Man.
Jackson is on a two-year, $10.3 million deal with a player option in 2024-25. That contract already looks like a steal for Calvin Booth and the Nuggets. Don’t expect Jackson to go anywhere.
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