By trading Michael Porter Jr. to Brooklyn for Cam Johnson, the Nuggets created more flexibility for themselves on the NBA free agent market. Negotiations opened for business around the league on Monday afternoon, but rather quickly dried up. Here are five players the Nuggets could target now — using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception — who might’ve been unrealistic previously:
Al Horford
Horford checks so many boxes for Denver that he almost seems too good to be true. He’s a switchable, floor-spacing, 6-foot-9 champion who could serve as Nikola Jokic’s backup center or play alongside Jokic in double-big lineups. Aging players are always a risk, of course. Horford turned 39 in June. But even that could work to the Nuggets’ advantage. If retirement is on his mind and he wants to leave his options open next offseason, signing a one-year contract matches Denver’s financial timeline by getting Horford off the books exactly when Christian Braun’s potential extension will take effect.
Guerschon Yabusele
Yabusele was the breakout star of the 2024 Paris Olympics, earning himself a contract with Philadelphia and reviving his NBA career. The 76ers turned out to be another springboard for the 6-foot-8 Frenchman. Still up for grabs on the open market, he’s expected to demand a significant increase from his previous veteran minimum salary. He averaged 11 points and 5.6 rebounds on 38% shooting from 3 last season.
Chris Boucher
Another big man with positional versatility, Boucher was admittedly on The Post’s initial list of free agents Denver could target before the MPJ trade. But if the longtime Toronto Raptor has other suitors, it doesn’t hurt to be armed with a little more money to offer. (Denver probably shouldn’t be throwing every available penny at him.) Boucher can shoot the 3, protect the rim and defend out on the perimeter with his length.
Chris Paul
They might not need him now that Bruce Brown is back on a cost-effective contract, but the Nuggets now have the means to extend a pretty respectful offer to Paul, who would hypothetically be the second consecutive future Hall of Famer to play backup point guard in Denver. At 39, he still averaged an immaculate 7.4 assists to 1.6 turnovers in San Antonio last season. The problem is, he probably wants to ride off into the sunset a little closer to his home in Los Angeles.
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This one’s iffy. Ayton is — by all recent accounts from Portland — moody, irresponsible and arrogant. He’s also a talented 2018 No. 1 overall pick who’s seemingly available at a bargain. He averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds last season in 30 minutes per game before the Trail Blazers bought out his contract. Hypothetically, he represents a major reprieve for Jokic. Practically, should Denver want him in the locker room?
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