Nuggetsโ Offseason Ambition: The KD Pursuit
Every championship window brings big ambitions. For the Nuggets, reigning on the strength of Nikola Jokiฤโs generational dominance, the 2025 offseason ignited whispers of an audacious move: trading for KevinโฏDurantโthe two-time Finals MVP, 15-time All-Star, and one of the most efficient scorers in NBA history .
Durantโs name quickly grabbed headlines. With the Suns stumbling into the Western Conference playโin despite their star-studded roster, multiple teamsโincluding Miami, Spurs, Heat, Timberwolves, Bucks, and notably Denverโโphoned around to gauge the price tagโ on KD . Internally, Nuggets analysts and voices saw the allure clearly: a joining of HOF-caliber scorers in Jokiฤ + Durant would form a matchup nightmare and elevate Denver to unassailable heights in the West .
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๐ฐ Big Rewards, Big Complications
1. Salary Cap & Asset Constraints
Durant, entering the final year of a $54.7โฏmillion contract, brought with him a hefty financial commitment . The Nuggets, already hovering near the luxury tax threshold, would have needed to land-cost match by packaging out significant salaryโlikely through Michael Porter Jr. ($38m), Peyton Watson, Dario ล ariฤ, Zeke Nnaji, and potentially draft pick compensation . Even then, they’d rely heavily on a third team to clean up cap issues .
2. Roster Depth and Age
Nikola Jokiฤ himself emphasized the need for a deeper rotation post-โGameโฏ7 exit to OKC,โ pointing to bench depth as a key to competing . Swapping rotational players and first-round picks for one allโin star would risk gutting depth during grueling playoff stretches. And with Durant turning 37 before the next season tipโoff, the move risked becoming short-sighted .
3. Contract Duration & LongโTerm Fit
Durantโs oneโyear contract meant Denver would be chasing a fleeting horsepowerโunless they believed KD would re-sign under the new CBA, something far from guaranteed. That uncertainty made further core bundle moves precarious .
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๐ What Could Have Been: Proposed Deals
Speculation boiled over with mock trade frameworks. One example circulated on ClutchPoints: Durant for Porter Jr., Watson, plus a 2031 first-rounder and 2025 second-rounder . Another from EssentiallySports suggested a package including Porter Jr., ล ariฤ, Watson, Nnaji, plus multiple picks to clear cap room .
Ex-NBA forward Theo Pinson even sketched out a Nuggets blueprint: send Jamal Murray, MPJ, plus picks to Phoenix, receive Durant in return, then add veteran role pieces (e.g., Bruce Brown, Dennis Schrรถder) .
That vision, though aggressive, showed Denver was deeply evaluating optionsโeven if those options came at a steep price.
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๐ง Fits & Friction: Jokic + Durant?
On paper, pairing Jokiฤ with Durant creates one of the most potent dynamic duos the NBA has ever seen. Jokicโs playmaking wizardry and elite feel would mesh seamlessly with KDโs off-ball movement, spacing, and fearless scoring . Fans drooled at the mere possibility (โโฆyou canโt guard him if Kevin Durantโs there,โ Pinson asserted ).
Yet, real concerns loomed:
Role adjustment: Durant is accustomed to high usage. Could he fit into Jokicโs pass-first, egalitarian offenseโespecially for just one year?
Durability: At 36โ37 and with a mile-long injury log, the luxury tax burn might outweigh a diminished or incomplete postseason contribution .
Depth impact: As Denver would have to sacrifice rotation players to land KD, their bench would likely weakenโcountering Jokicโs stated plan .
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