NBA Trade Rumors: DeMar DeRozan Could Form Nuggets’ ‘Big Three’ With Nikola Jokic And Jamal Murray This Season
In the past months, rumors have been continuously swirling around veteran small forward DeMar DeRozan and his future with the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs are yet to make him officially available on the trading block but without a clear path title contention, most people believe that they are better of moving him now than take the risk of losing him in the 2021 free agency without getting anything in return. Once he becomes officially available on the market, several teams that want to boost their chances of winning the NBA championship title in the 2020-21 NBA season are expected to express a strong interest in adding him to their roster.
One of the potential suitors of DeRozan before the 2021 trade deadline is the Denver Nuggets. In a recent article, Eddie Bitar of Fadeaway World came up with a blockbuster trade scenario that would allow DeRozan to team up with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray and form the league’s newest “Big Three” in Denver. In the proposed deal, the Nuggets would be sending a package that includes Gary Harris, Will Barton, and a future first-round pick to the Spurs in exchange for DeRozan.
If the trade becomes a reality, Bitar believes that it would benefit both the Spurs and the Nuggets.
“DeMar DeRozan is averaging 19.8 PPG this season as the #1 option for the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs aren’t any good again and DeRozan should be moved for the sake of his own career and the benefit of the Spurs rebuild. The Nuggets have an MVP caliber player in Nikola Jokic and an All-Star in Jamal Murray, so upgrading their shooting guard position with DeRozan puts them among the 4 best teams in the West. The Spurs can rebuild with Barton and Harris who are capable starters and a valuable first-round pick.”
DeRozan would undeniably be an intriguing acquisition for the Nuggets. He may not be on the same level as LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Kevin Durant, but he could still help the Nuggets become a more competitive team this season. Though he’s still hesitant to shoot the ball from beyond the arc, he remains a very reliable option on the offensive end of the floor.
His arrival in Denver would ease the loads on Jokic and Murray’s shoulders in terms of scoring and playmaking. Acquiring DeRozan from the Spurs may not be enough to make them the No. 1 favorite to capture the Larry O’Brien Trophy this year, but it would give them a better chance of making a deep playoff run and beating Western Conference powerhouse teams like the Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers in a best-of-seven series.
