The Denver Nuggets reportedly declined the Dallas Mavericks’ sign-and-trade deal involving Kentavious-Caldwell Pope last offseason, sources told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. The Nuggets had an opportunity to get something in return for Caldwell-Pope, 31. They agreed to a sign-and-trade with the Mavericks, who offered Small Forward Tim Hardaway Jr. or Shooting Guard Josh Green, but ultimately they declined to follow through.
The Nuggets reportedly believed Shooting Guard Christian Braun could fill the role of Caldwell-Pope. Nuggets Head Coach Michael Malone recently brought up the loss of Caldwell-Pope in his postgame press conference. Malone, 53, appeared to realize Braun, 23, wasn’t going to be Caldwell-Pope. Read on for further details surrounding Malone’s recent statement.
Denver Nuggets Rebuff Dallas Mavericks
The Denver Nuggets reportedly declined the Dallas Mavericks’ sign-and-trade deal, which has seemingly affected them this season. The Nuggets’ shooting has been average at best, and their last two shooting performances have been despicable.
Nuggets Head Coach Michael Malone recently told ESPN, “Going into the season, shooting [was] a concern of mine … You lose a guy like KCP [Kentavious Caldwell-Pope], who was a 40% three-point shooter, you know what I mean? I thought Christian Braun was great tonight. [But] Christian Braun is not going to be KCP. I think we all have to understand that, which I think we do, and embrace CB for who he is.”
Malone’s recent statement can be described as an epiphany, but his usual statements are just bandages to cover wounds. Malone must replace the Nuggets’ losses of skill and experience. At the time of writing, Denver ranks 15th in offense, 19th in defense, 23rd in shooting, and 28th in bench production. These metrics are all concerning for a team that won their first-ever NBA championship in 2023.
Denver Nuggets Roster Shakeup
After declining the Dallas Mavericks’ sign-and-trade deal, the Denver Nuggets were left with bigger-picture issues, such as finding the best way to construct the Nuggets around Center Nikola Jokic under the NBA’s new collective bargaining rules. They decided to invest in younger players with bigger roles and sacrificed depth and flexibility to keep veteran free agents.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope eventually signed a three-year, $60 million contract with the Orlando Magic after the Nuggets prioritized signing Point Guard Jamal Murray and Power Forward Aaron Gordon to a four-year, $208 million maximum contract extension and a four-year, $133 million contract extension, respectively.
Jokic, 29, was reportedly a big supporter of the Nuggets signing Point Guard Russell Westbrook as the Nuggets’ backup point guard. Nuggets Head Coach Michael Malone told ESPN, “I think more than anything, [Nikola Jokic] loves [Russell Westbrook’s] passion for the game.”
Jokic is just here to play professional basketball. Jokic’s job isn’t to deal with the collective bargaining agreement (CBA), contracts, etc. However, the Serbian NBA star’s strong opinion on how the younger players need to approach the responsibilities they’ve been given has influenced them.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s Stats
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope left the Denver Nuggets for the Orlando Magic, as the Dallas Mavericks found a new sign-and-trade suitor in the Golden State Warriors, who reportedly declined Klay Thompson’s two-year, $20 million contract proposal.
Since the Nuggets won their first NBA title in 2023, they’ve lost Caldwell-Pope, Small Forward Bruce Brown, Power Forward Jeff Green, and Point Guard Reggie Jackson. The Nuggets’ positioning of Jokic to win a second NBA title remains to be seen, so we’ll look for the latest news in the coming weeks.
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