Denver could become the new “Lob City” if the Nuggets successfully sign the Los Angeles Clippers duo of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin from the free-agent market. During their partnership with the Clippers, Paul and Griffin turned Los Angeles into “Lob City”, with their trademark alley-oop plays.
Marc Stein and Chris Haynes of ESPN reported that the Nuggets are looking to sign either Griffin or Paul Millsap of the Atlanta Hawks to boost their power forward spot. The Nuggets are also planning to meet with Paul, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
Paul, Griffin, and Millsap all opted out of respective deals, making them unrestricted free agents. They can get maximum five-year deals from their old teams but only four-year contracts if they join another squad. The 32-year-old Millsap can get a maximum five-year, $207 million deal from the Hawks. If he joins another team, he can sign a four-year, $154 million contract.
The 32-year-old Paul can ask for a maximum five-year deal worth more than $200 million if he stays with the Clippers but only a four-year contract with other squads. The Clippers may give Griffin a five-year pact amounting to $175 million while other teams may extend a four-year deal worth $130 million to the power forward.
Nuggets also eyeing Kevin Love via trade with Cavs
Earlier, the Nuggets were reported to be involved in a three-team trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Indiana Pacers. The trade will send Cleveland’s power forward Kevin Love to the Nuggets while Paul George will go to the Cavaliers. The Pacers will receive several young players that may include Kenneth Faried, Wilson Chandler or Emmanuel Mudiay.
The three teams also looked into another aspect of the deal, which will send Faried to the Cavaliers.
Nuggets want to upgrade power forward position
Adding either Griffin or Millsap will upgrade the Nuggets’ power forward position. Millsap, a four-time All-Star with the Hawks, averaged 18.1 points and 7.7 rebounds in the regular season while shooting a career 32.8 percent from three-point range.
Griffin, for his part, averaged 21.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game for the Clippers last season.
The 27-year-old Faried has been a dependable player for the Nuggets but with the emergence of “stretch four” players, or big men who can stretch the defense with their outside shooting, he has become a liability for the team. In his six years with the Nuggets, the 6-foot-8 Faried attempted just 19 shots from beyond the arc, making just two. Last season, he attempted six three-pointers but made none.
