Most likely to be traded
The Nuggets head into Thursday’s trade deadline unlikely to make a splashy deal, but they’re in the market to make a smaller move to solidify their roster for a playoff push. Here are the most likely players to get traded before the deadline:
Kenneth Faried
The center of trade rumors for multiple seasons, the longest-tenured Nugget and former starter has fallen out of Denver’s rotation even as the frontcourt has sustained numerous injuries. Known for his elite rebounding and athleticism, Faried is not a reliable defender or consistent scorer. He’s also due almost $13.7 million next season. Even simply dumping Faried’s salary could be beneficial for the Nuggets, because it would open up a roster spot to sign two-way rookie Torrey Craig to a full contract to stay with Denver rather than return to the G League when his 45 days expire.
Emmanuel Mudiay
The former lottery pick lost his starting job to a surging Jamal Murray, then fell out of the rotation in late December before regaining recent minutes. Mudiay has shown offensive flashes throughout his career but never consistency. He ranks last in the NBA among point guards in defensive real plus-minus, which measures a player’s impact on team performance. But Mudiay is just 21 and perhaps a fresh start could re-ignite his development. He is set to make $4.3 million next season.
Wilson Chandler
Chandler recently described his performance so far this season as “pretty bad,” with his lowest scoring numbers (8.8 points per game) since his rookie year a decade ago. He was briefly benched in late January. He has a $12.8 million player option for next season. The Nuggets also don’t have much depth at small forward — Will Barton is currently starting at that position — and likely would not deal Chandler unless they got a solid wing in return. Malik Beasley
A more recent name to surface in trade buzz, Beasley has been praised for his energy, defensive commitment and upside as a second-year player. But he’s struggled with his shot (40 percent from the floor, 29 percent from 3-point range) and has gone from being the Nuggets’ first player off the bench in December to only getting spot minutes of late. He’s set to make $1.8 million next season.