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

Last season, in one of Daryl Morey’s final moves as the Houston Rockets general manager, the team signed David Nwaba to a unique contract. Nwaba had suffered an Achilles tear in December of 2019 and was promptly released by the Brooklyn Nets as he was in the final year of his contract.

The Rockets, with an eye on the future, saw an opportunity to add a talented player in need of a new home and signed Nwaba to a two-year contract. The deal paid Nwaba $903,111 in 2019-20 to rehab from his Achilles injury and it offered a team option for $1.8 million in 2020-21.

The deal was a win for both sides, it gave Nwaba some financial security as he came back from a serious injury and the team option allowed the Rockets to see how his body responded before committing to him for 2020-21.

The Rockets’ faith and upfront investment in Nwaba has paid off handsomely this season. Nwaba has been one of the best defensive players in the league and it is no coincidence that the Rockets’ suddenly excellent defense showed up the moment Nwaba did.

Why teams should be all-in for David Nwaba

Unfortunately, the Rockets have been in free fall and should begin selling off players on expiring deals to build for the future. Nwaba has shown enough this season to be on the top of defense needy teams lists.

He is a versatile defender that takes the most analytically efficient shots, something front offices keep an eye out for with role players, and his $1.8 million contract for this season means he’ll fit into just about any teams’ budget. Nwaba could help any team, but the team that needs him the most is the Denver Nuggets.

For the season, the Nuggets have the sixth-best offensive rating but the 20th defensive rating. Their net-rating is sixth in the league and a slight improvement on the defensive end could see them make it into the top-five.

David Nwaba is a rental but he won’t come cheap, he’s too good and too valuable to a playoff team. These are three trades the Nuggets should swing to land David Nwaba and what the Rockets could get in return.

Next: Trade #3

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

Houston Rockets: David Nwaba to the Denver Nuggets Trade #2

This trade doesn’t see the Nuggets give up any draft capital but it sends the Rockets an interesting young player that could instantly come in and fill the back-up point guard role. R.J. Hampton is a bit of an unknown but that has more to do with the bias against prospects that play their gap-year overseas and not to do with his actual ability.

For whatever reason, NBA front offices seem to have a stigma against prospects that go and play professionally overseas instead of playing against amateurs in the NCAA. Remember, Luka Doncic was the third overall pick after destroying professional competition for years, LaMelo Ball falling to third already looks insane, and Hampton very well may make his selection at 24th overall appear to be a massive mistake.

Hampton hasn’t played much for the Nuggets this season and his long-term role with the franchise appears to be murky. The Nuggets have their point guard of the future in Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray is firmly entrenched as their secondary playmaker.

Hampton is a point guard who has insane burst which makes playing at pace a must for him to reach his potential. With Jokic pulling the strings the Nuggets play at one of the league’s slowest pace and it makes Hampton’s ability to fit with the starting lineup tricky.

The Nuggets should cash in a prospect for a player that can help their team right now. Even if Hampton becomes an elite player in Houston it’s unlikely he’d be able to do the same playing in Denver.

This deal gets the Rockets an intriguing prospect who can learn under John Wall, another athletically gifted point guard, as he eases into an NBA role. The Nuggets get a player that can help them make the finals and in the end, everyone is happy.

Next: Trade #1

Houston Rockets: David Nwaba to the Denver Nuggets Trade #1

This deal probably works best for both the Nuggets and the Rockets. The Nuggets ship out PJ Dozier and a protected first-round pick to the Rockets for David Nwaba.

PJ Dozier has had to fight to make it in the NBA and has become a solid NBA rotation piece for the Nuggets. He is shooting a career-best from the field and from 3-point range and at 6’6 he has the size and length to defend multiple positions.

While Dozier offers some similarities to Nwaba, he just simply is not the defender he is. The appeal here for the Rockets is that Dozier has steadily improved throughout his NBA career and could be a solid part of their rebuilding effort.

Each season he has increased his minutes total and his true shooting percentage and could be an excellent bench piece or a solid complimentary starter.  The Nuggets don’t need a player like Dozier as much because of the depth of their roster and the fact that they have Will Barton still around.

The protected first-round pick might not convey for a long time, depending on the protections, but could become a valuable trade chip. The Nuggets are set up to be a perennial playoff team and the value of their first-round picks is through trades and not through the draft.

This trade allows Denver to keep their core contributors and prospects while only surrendering a rotation piece and a low-value pick. The Rockets won’t be better for shipping out Nwaba but he’s on an expiring contract and cashing him in for some assets right now is a move the Rockets need to make.