According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (who got the Aaron Gordon trade right among many other moves he has reported correctly the last calendar year), the Denver Nuggets are making it clear to opposing teams that Facundo Campazzo and JaMychal Green are available for trade ahead of Thursday’s NBA Trade Deadline.
The Nuggets are 29-24 on the season and are searching for opportunities to improve their roster ahead of the playoffs beginning in April. At sixth place in the Western Conference, the Nuggets are just one game ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the loss column, and dropping below the T’Wolves would result in Denver falling into the play-in tournament. Achieving a top six seed is of the utmost importance for a number of reasons, including avoiding the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors in a first round playoff matchup.
For that reason, the Nuggets are being aggressive on the edges of their rotation. With the additions of shooting guard Bryn Forbes and center DeMarcus Cousins (though there’s no word if Cousins will be retained past his expired 10-day contract), Campazzo and Green have seen their rotation minutes cut. This is ahead of Jamal Murray and/or Michael Porter Jr. returning to the fold, which will likely squeeze minutes even more for the two veterans. The Nuggets appear to be proactive in reworking their rotation, and it appears that Campazzo and/or Green could be the odd players out.
For the season, Campazzo has played in 50 out of Denver’s 53 games, averaging 20.4 minutes, 6.0 points, 3.8 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. JaMychal Green, who has also dealt with some injury trouble, has played in 40 games, averaging 14.7 minutes, 5.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 0.7 steals per game.
The Nuggets appear to be in the market for a defensive upgrade on the wing as well as a traditional backup center.
