Someone please ban this dumbass, why the ***** do you care? Who ever cares if this guy second favorite team is the jazz or the the lakers have no life. It seems you are always fighting someone here. ASidd_1990 you are now on my b*tch list.
JR. He's gone. I have ZERO inside info, but I'm almost positive he's gone. Honestly, if I'm the Nugs, I'm shopping everyone but Lawson & Afflalo (mainly because they're cheap and young. They're not untouchable by any means, but they're worth hanging on to). I'm VERY hesitant to deal Melo, but I'm listening to offers - mainly because I can see him bolting for NY after next season. KMart has an expiring contract next year. KMart & JR combined are $23 mil worth of wiggle room. Hell, I was showing up here when the Nugs won 17 games. Losing in the first round of the playoffs isn't going to scare me off.
Lot of things in flux with that Nuggets team. George Karl fighting cancer, Chauncey still good but not spring chicken any more (and neither is KMart), JR volatile and probably needs a heavyweight coach (who is, honestly, a little bit of a prima donna/head case himself) to keep him in check. If I ran the team, I'd strongly consider hiring a heavyweight replacement for George Karl. Is Phil Jackson available? Will Van Gundy take the job? I'd do what I can to keep Melo. Players like him don't grow on trees so you keep him unless there's no chance he's staying (or if he's completely declined). It may taker time to get the right mix around him and you might need to be real lucky to do that, but you keep him. Look at what happened with the Celtics and Paul Pierce. The rest of the team can go for the right price. I love Chauncey and KMart but if I don't think the Nuggs are contending next year, I trade them before further decline. A team who want to contend and has young assets is what I'd target (funny enough, Rockets fit the bill). I'm sure JR can fetch something as well (maybe a pick in this year's particularly deep draft). I am thinking the Nuggs are kind of at the Pierce-Walker Celtics stage. Good, but not quite the right mix, so you keep the core guy (Melo/Pierce) and get the right team around him.
Who will coach the Nuggets next season? This is the first key question that must be answered. If Karl isn't back (and he should NOT), starting from scratch might be the thing to do. But if they trade Melo, it's oblivion for the Nuggets. IMO, they should keep Melo, Chauncey (maybe), Nene, Birdman, Lawson, Afflalo and build on those guys. If at all possible, dump K-Mart and Balkman asap, which probably means the trade deadline next February. Obviously JR isn't coming back. I'd swap him for a bag of Cheetos. It would be a miracle if the Nuggets didn't take a step back next season. In the frustration of losing to Utah, trading Melo might seem attractive but it's really illogical unless you get something truly great in return, which won't happen. Nugs4, looking forward to the offseason Nuggets thread. Please start it right after the draft. Now is not the time.
Hire Phil Jackson (if he's available) and then make some necessary roster changes. Melo/Nene/Billups/Lawson/Afflalo are keepers and JR out of the others may have the most trade value so you try to trade him in the offseason.
To be fair to the Shimmy Shake Era, the Celtics got the "right mix" by trading for 2 future HOFers with enough gas left in the tank (Malone and Payton were on the decline when they got to LA). If that don't win you a title, nothing will.
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