Dark Horse #5: Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets would have the best frontcourt in the league with the duo of Anthony Davis and Nikola Jokic. They lose some talent on the wings, but still have plenty of depth on their roster to continue to hang out in the top of the Western Conference. They bank on their success this season and the excitement of playing with one of the brightest young centers in the league to convince Davis to stick around.
The Pelicans get back a couple of later round draft picks that they can either use to flip for a different young asset or higher pick, or hope to hit the jackpot late in the first round of the next two drafts. Michael Porter Jr. is a rookie that hasn’t seen a minute of NBA action yet as he continues to recover from his second surgery on his back, but if you take a gamble on him and believe he can come back healthy, his upside is tremendous. He was slated to be drafted very early last year before sliding to pick #14 due to the health issues.
Gary Harris is a typical sharpshooter who, admittedly, has seen a slight dip in numbers recently, but will likely round back into form soon. Will Barton is on a decent enough contract and is a sneakily solid player than could add some veteran leadership to the squad. There is risk in this deal, no doubt, but also tons of upside if things work out.
It’s sure to be an anxiety-filled ride as New Orleans and their fans wait to see what type of offers they receive for Anthony Davis. Ultimately, he might end up in Los Angeles, Boston, New York, or Toronto. However, it’s much too soon to count out other teams that might want to jump in on the action as the New Orleans Pelicans look to acquire any key pieces they can use in their impending rebuild.