Houston Rockets: 3 trades that send David Nwaba to the Denver Nuggets

Houston Rockets: David Nwaba to the Denver Nuggets Trade #3

The Rockets have not so subtlely been trying to add future draft picks and this deal adds two more to their war chest. The appeal of this move, for the Nuggets, is that they can keep their roster intact while adding an impact player who fills a position of need.

To make it out of the Western Conference you’re going to have to go through one, if not both, of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers. The Lakers have LeBron James and the Clippers have both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

To make it past one of those two your team needs elite wing defenders and the Nuggets have sorely missed Jerami Grant this season. Nwaba gives the Nuggets a lock-down defender that can slow those players down and raise their defensive versatility in any playoff series.

While improving the defense is the Nuggets’ most pressing need, Nwaba offers an offensive skill set that should fit right in. Nwaba doesn’t blow the doors open on offense but he’s an instinctive cutter and finisher, which are two traits that Nikola Jokic accentuates.

The Nuggets have one first-round pick headed out the door to the Oklahoma City Thunder, which means moving one this season shouldn’t be a non-starter. The beauty of the Nuggets roster is that because their core of Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr. is so young, moving future picks right now won’t burn the franchise in the same way it could hurt the Brooklyn Nets.

The Nuggets are close to being a contender and David Nwaba makes them that much closer. He fills a serious need for them and won’t cost too much that it’ll inhibit their ability to add another star down the line.

Next: Trade #2