The Denver Nuggets look set to add some new pieces around back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokić this summer. On Monday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Nuggets have sent forward JaMychal Green (who averaged 16.2 minutes and 6.4 points per game this season in a mostly off-the-bench role, and will be 32 in two weeks) to the Oklahoma City Thunder along with a protected 2027 first-round draft pick for the Thunder’s 30th-overall pick this year (previously obtained from the Phoenix Suns). Here are the details on that trade of Green (seen above warming up ahead of a March game against the Thunder):
ESPN Sources: Denver is trading F JaMychal Green and a protected 2027 first-round pick to Oklahoma City for the No. 30 pick in this month’s NBA Draft and two future second-round picks. Nuggets have No. 21 and 30 in this draft now and Thunder has Nos. 2, 12 and 34.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 13, 2022
As Wojnarowski noted, this adds to the Nuggets’ cap flexibility as well, and the rebuilding Thunder certainly have the cap room to take on Green’s contract:
Green is expected to exercise his $8.2M contract for 2022-2023. Deal gives Nuggets flexibility to use a $6.4M tax mid-level exception or an $8.2M trade exception in offseason. Nuggets expect to be a tax-paying team. Thunder have $31M in cap space to absorb Green salary.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 13, 2022
There’s certainly some incentive for Denver to try and win now. The 27-year-old Jokić had another amazing season, posting averages of 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game, but the Nuggets were knocked out by the Golden State Warriors in five games in the first round of this year’s playoffs (despite Jokić averaging 31.0 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game in that series). And both the new first-round pick (even if it’s near the end of the first round) and the cap space from this trade could be useful for the Nuggets’ plans to try to contend for a title.
[Adrian Wojnarowski on Twitter; photo from Ron Chenoy/USA Today Sports]
