{"id":191,"date":"2016-08-31T07:45:43","date_gmt":"2016-08-31T12:45:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprobasketball.com\/?p=191"},"modified":"2016-08-30T21:28:33","modified_gmt":"2016-08-31T02:28:33","slug":"denver-nuggets-trade-joffrey-lauvergne-thunder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2016\/08\/31\/denver-nuggets-trade-joffrey-lauvergne-thunder\/","title":{"rendered":"Denver Nuggets Trade Joffrey Lauvergne To OKC Thunder"},"content":{"rendered":"

On August 30th,\u00a0the Denver Nuggets<\/strong>\u00a0traded Joffrey Lauvergne<\/a><\/strong> to the Oklahoma City Thunder<\/strong>. Denver will receive\u00a0two future second round picks in this transaction.\u00a0Following the trade, the Nuggets have 14 players signed to guaranteed contracts through the 2016-17 season.\u00a0Three players will\u00a0enter training camp on non-guaranteed deals. What does this mean for the Nuggets moving forward?<\/p>\n

Denver Nuggets Trade Joffrey Lauvergne To OKC Thunder<\/strong><\/h2>\n

What Denver Lost in the Trade<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Joffrey Lauvergne contributed quality minutes off the bench for Denver throughout the 2015-16 season, starting in 17 games. In 17.6 minutes per game, he put up a workman-like 7.9 points per game on 51.3\u00a0percent from the field. The Nuggets will certainly miss his presence in late game situations, where Lauvergne shot an impressive 89.9% from the free throw line. For a team that is looking to improve interior presence, this is a questionable move, especially considering Lauvergne’s\u00a04.9 rebounds per game that is now lost in this transaction.<\/p>\n

Nuggets\u00a0Front Court\u00a0in 2016-17 Season<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Nuggets now enter the 2016-17 season with limited depth at the center position. Denver likes what it has seen in Jusuf Nurkic<\/a> <\/strong>and Nikola Jokic<\/a><\/strong>, but both players offer more questions than answers at this stage. Jokic provided a jolt in Denver’s rotation last season, putting up a respectable 10.0 points and 7.0\u00a0rebounds per game in his first campaign. Limited by injuries in 2015-16, Nurkic\u00a0put up a solid 8.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game\u00a0off the bench.\u00a0It would have been\u00a0redundant to keep all three players in the Nuggets front court rotation next season, but the rotation is far from established at this time.<\/p>\n

Precursor of Things to Come?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Nuggets actively pursued trade partners for Kenneth Faried<\/a><\/strong> entering the 2016 NBA Draft<\/strong>. Such action leads to the belief that Denver is looking to shake up its front court rotation. In what appears to be a roster-focused move, is trading Lauvergne a precursor of things to come? With depth at\u00a0both guard positions, the Nuggets\u00a0could be positioning themselves for future trades\u00a0by stacking trade assets. With no known trade partners at this time, one thing is clear: Denver will be active in addressing its front court needs as the season approaches.<\/p>\n

Do you love the Denver Nuggets, and love to write? If so, I am looking for you! LWOPB is searching for talented writers passionate about keeping the conversation going. If you think you’ve got what it takes, check out our Write For Us<\/strong> section and contact me at: LWOSChadKooiman@gmail.com<\/span><\/u><\/a><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Main photo:<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n