Does Denver have a play in the July NBA Free Agent Sweepstakes?
Carlos Boozer in powder blue? Don't stop believin'
- Image by truthaboutit via Flickr
The Denver Nuggets have had no choice but to wallow in the unhappy ending to their 2009-20010 season over the last two months. Will they be able to right the ship by cashing in on the richest free agent market in NBA history?
With a suddenly glaring weakness at power forward, the Denver Nuggets need to make a move to compete in the loaded Western Conference next season.
Denver is in a heck of a bind after their playoff flop versus Utah.
An unfortunate combination of injuries, circumstance, and poor decision-making by the Nuggets’ front office have Denver on the edge of irrelevance as the rest of the West grows inexorably bigger and stronger across the board.
Kenyon Martin & Chris Andersen both had offseason knee surgeries, with K-Mart likely to miss training and preseason work with the team. The Nuggets’ formerly formidable power forward corps look suddenly paper thin.
Carmelo Anthony is unwilling to sign a contract extension without guaranteed help from free agency that may never come. Melo’s current deal is up in 2011, and the Nuggets have expressed a willingness to trade him instead of losing him to free agency next year.
It is most likely, however, that Denver and Carmelo will find a way to work out a deal for an extension under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement that will pay Anthony much more over the next four or five years than he could make here or anywhere else after the current CBA expires at the end of next season.
George Karl’s coaching future is still up in the air despite assertions from his family that his road to recovery is firmly on track. Without Karl’s practiced hand steadying these Nuggets, they are simply not a reasonable contender for the Conference Finals or better.
And the Nuggets gained nothing from a loaded 2010 NBA Draft class that featured a cadre of qualified big men. Even a lesser pick from the 2nd Round could have helped to shoulder the crushing low post burden. Kenyon has been unable to play a full season since coming to Denver, and there is little chance that next season will be any different.
The good news is yet to come. (It has to.)
Word is that Denver did fish for a trade partner to bust into last week’s draft, but nothing materialized that was worth the asking price. (Denver’s unfortunate recent draft history left them without a 2010 pick.)
That leaves the Nuggets’ front office with continued draft-related failure since nabbing Nene and Carmelo Anthony in consecutive drafts from 2002-2003. (The book is still out on Ty Lawson.) Denver has instead opted to do its fishing in the free agent pool, and this season the big fish are biting.
While the Nuggets have not been mentioned by rumor mills like ESPN as suitors for any of the big names in the 2010 Free Agent Class, Stan Kroenke & Co. have been notorious for playing their cards close to the vest.
Do not be surprised to see one of the available power forwards come to Denver, paired with the exit of Kenyon Martin’s expiring contract.
The Big Bosh surprise?
The plum of this free agent class is obviously Lebron, but James and Melo have always been a better foil as opponents than teammates. Lebron is certainly not willing to shift to power forward to accommodate Melo, or vice versa.
The slightly more likely solution would be a sign & trade with Toronto for Chris Bosh.
Although Denver is not on the Chris Bosh Wishlist, the Raptors’ ability to give Bosh a max deal and get an expiring contract in return makes the Nuggets an ideal trade partner. Toronto would end up with Kenyon Martin drawing fans to their seats for a year, and the Nuggets would get the youthful big man that they need to partner with Nene in the paint.
As much as Chris may want to end up in the bright lights of New York, Chicago or Miami, he may be more motivated by the riches afforded a sign & trade through his current team. Bosh would be a great fit in the Nuggets’ speed & isolation oriented offense, and his shot-blocking ability would partially make up for the loss of K-Mart’s unmatched post defense.
Then again, if Bosh and Lebron can find a way to fit into the budget together at Chicago, this all becomes a moot point and another Bulls Dynasty is born.
Amare For the Win
Amare Stoudemire is a long-shot to come to Denver because the Nuggets would have to unload K-Mart by other means in order to afford him. The Suns will certainly not be interested in a bulky, defense-oriented, injury-prone power forward to replace the explosive Stoudemire.
That means the Nuggets would have to dump Kenyon on another team in exchange for a less expensive talent, then woo Stoudemire to Denver with promises of speedy transition play and a shooting forward (Melo) that can mirror his powerful interior skills out on the perimeter. This is an unlikely solution and, as with any other potential deal this July, Amare’s path depends on where other power forwards end up around the league.
If Amare wants to win, he will not waste the next few years of his basketball life losing in Madison Square Garden or the NBA Purgatory known as Clipperland. Better options for such a great offensive talent to win now and in the future lie in Phoenix or Denver.
The Most Unlikely Signing That Ever Was
We’ve gone from sort of likely to outright unlikely, and now we go to the Twilight Zone for the deal that would be fantastic for the Nuggets but would never, ever, not in a million years happen.
Carlos Boozer is an underestimated power forward talent in this free agent class. He is a force comparable to Kenyon on defense, and his ability to rebound on the offensive glass extends possessions and wears down opponents.
Boozer is the workhorse that Denver needs to anchor its starting five… the anchor that Kenyon has been when healthy. His skill set is so similar to K-Mart’s that you would hardly notice a difference, except that Carlos would be a force in the late season and playoffs where Kenyon becomes less effective and misses time as the year wears on.
The only problem is that Boozer has spent six dedicated seasons in Utah. He could have left the Jazz for greener pastures in the past and hasn’t. The very idea that he would betray the Utah faithful by coming to Denver must be highly offensive to Jazz fans.
However, the Jazz are never going to break through the laundry list of talented teams in the Western Conference to reach the NBA Finals under Jerry “Dinosaur” Sloan.
Make no mistake, Sloan runs a tight ship and puts together tough, competitive teams each season. But Utah is merely a weigh station; a worthy obstacle to be overcome in the playoffs. Their back-to-back playoff exits at the hands of the Lakers have shown how woefully untalented this team is on the offensive side of the court.
Carlos would be better off in powder blue.
Mr. Boozer could do great things in Denver, most importantly bringing in the kind of toughness and tenacity that the Nuggets have been missing without a 100% Kenyon over the last six years.
Don’t waste your breath, Dirk’s goin’ nowhere.
The last power forward on the Big List (see below) is Dirk Nowitzki. The big German sensation could make the Nuggets a Title Contender immediately with his rare combination of strength, speed, rebounding ability and shooting touch.
However, despite Dirk’s announcement yesterday that he would opt out of the final year of his current contract, Nowitzki is staying in Dallas. Doubtless, Dirk decided to opt out that he might garner a more favorable contract under the current CBA than if he had waited until next season. Like Carmelo, Nowitzki wants to stay where he is… he just wants to be rewarded handsomely for his loyalty.
Best Wishes to Melo & Lala
Carmelo Anthony and longtime girlfriend Lala Vazquez will finally tie the knot next Saturday, July 10th.
While the rest of the NBA world goes gaga over the big free agent frenzy, Melo & Lala will be saying their vows in New York City. The wedding is accompanied by a VH1 Reality TV Show that premieres in September and focuses on the months leading up to the wedding. The finale will be a 90-minute detail of the wedding itself.
So congrats to Melo & Lala. May their marriage and Carmelo’s career in Denver both last well into a bright ‘n shiny future.
The Big List: Top Ten 2010 NBA Free Agents
Lebron James (SF)
Dwyane Wade (SG)
Chris Bosh (PF)
Joe Johnson (SG)
Dirk Nowitzki (PF)
Paul Pierce (SF)
Amare Stoudemire (PF)
Carlos Boozer (PF)
David Lee (C)
Rudy Gay (SF)
