It's going to be [an interesting offseason for the Denver Nuggets](https://nugglove.com/nuggets-new-front-office-has-crystal-clear-path-winning-fans-trust). They just got finished [taking the number one-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder](https://nugglove.com/pacers-follow-nuggets-blueprint-steal-game-1-nba-finals-okc) to seven games, but they still had some glaring offensive troubles in spite of the greatness of Nikola Jokic. However, Denver could still alleviate much of their issues by making a multi-team trade to deal away Michael Porter Jr. and bring in Klay Thompson along with P.J. Washington from the Dallas Mavericks.
Porter has become the top trade candidate on Denver's roster due to his contract. He's set to earn north of $79 million over the course of the next two seasons, and injury concerns have made him more volatile than he was in the past.
The shooting prowess MPJ brings to the table will give some Nuggets fans pause about trading him, but it would be worth it for this potential deal. Swapping out Porter for Thompson and Washington would serve to strengthen Denver's depth and more closely align their core with the otherworldly talent of Nikola Jokic.
When it comes to Klay Thompson, we're talking about one of the greatest shooters of all-time. He may not be in his athletic prime anymore after a few major injuries, but he still shot 39% from three this past season.
The Nuggets would benefit greatly from adding Washington/Thompson
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Adding Thompson to this Nuggets team would give Denver a good bit more floor spacing and would force defenses to give Jokic more room to operate. The Nuggets don't need "Game 6 Klay," they just need someone who can keep the defense honest and create more opportunities.
Then there's P.J. Washington, who may be even more valuable to the Nuggets based on the team's roster needs and what he brings to the table. Washington is a skilled two-way forward who can shoot from the outside as well as bring enough size to the table to guard multiple positions effectively. Adding him to the mix would greatly increase Denver's ability to roll out versatile lineups.
Getting these two players back from Dallas would almost certainly require looping in a third team to make the math work. But it would be arguably the best possible option when it comes to getting back a solid return for Michael Porter Jr.'s contract.
This franchise can't possibly conclude the Nikola Jokic era with only one championship. Making big swings in the offseason and seeking out these kinds of additions is what's going to get them that much closer to their second Larry O'Brien. Washington and Thompson may be their best chance of leveling up and becoming one of the favorites in the Western Conference once again.