Nuggets targeting 1 All-Star scorer in trade?

Feb 5, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; A view of the Denver Nuggets logo on the court prior to the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Nuggets appear to be ready to push their chips to the center of the table.

Ian Begley of SportsNet New York reports this week that New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram is on the Nuggets’ radar as they look to add a scorer ahead of the February trade deadline. Begley also notes that Denver’s clearest pathway for such a move would be to include forward Michael Porter Jr. in the deal.

The 27-year-old Ingram was an All-Star in 2020 and won the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award that year as well. This year, the former No. 2 overall pick is averaging a complete stat line of 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game.

But Ingram is a likely trade candidate with the Pelicans scraping the bottom of the barrel this season at 5-22. With Ingram on a $36 million expiring contract, it makes sense for the Nuggets to try to match that with Porter’s $35.9 million contract for this season (plus two more years after that) and hope to re-sign Ingram this summer with the Bird rights that they would also acquire in any trade.

While Porter was a pivotal piece on Denver’s 2023 championship team and is a better knockdown shooter, Ingram provides more defensive upside as well as a superior one-on-one offensive game. The 14-10 Nuggets are very much in a now-or-never moment right now and badly need to maximize their current window with star center Nikola Jokic, who looks poised to win a fourth MVP award this season. That could come in the form of an Ingram trade or a trade for another big name who is more playoff-tested.