On January 12, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued, and in a focus game that just ended, the Denver Nuggets beat the Suns 126-97 at home, winning four consecutive games and continuing to dominate the first place in the West.
In this game, the Suns' four starters, Paul, Ayton and Johnson were trapped in the game, which undoubtedly gave the Nuggets a chance to win by a big score. The Nuggets, playing at home, started the game with a 34-28 lead and a 16-point lead at halftime, and the Nuggets showed no mercy in the third quarter and continued to extend their lead, and the remaining Suns were beaten to no avail.
In the fourth quarter, the Suns, who trailed by 25 points, were already unable to resist, and the game lost suspense early, and the Nuggets still did not relent, and finally beat the Suns with a 29-point lead, winning four straight and ranking first in the Western Conference record rankings.
In the whole game, Nuggets center Jokic clocked in in the third quarter, shooting 10 of 15 for 21 points, 18 rebounds and 9 assists in quasi-triple-double data, Hyland, who came off the bench, scored 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting, Pope scored 15 points, and Murray contributed 16 points; The Suns were in a collective slump, and Craig, who scored the highest score, cut 16 points and 5 rebounds, and shot 6 of 6 shots, but it was difficult to prevent the Suns from losing miserably.
Despite the Nuggets' big win, unfortunately, point guard Murray injured his foot shortly after the start of the fourth quarter and returned to the locker room with the help of staff. It is worth mentioning that the Nuggets at that time already had a 25-point lead and were already in control, Murray should have rested off the court at this time, but the accident still happened, if Murray was seriously injured, the coach's arrangement would be very unreasonable.
Despite Murray's unexpected injury, the Nuggets also had good news after the win, and in order to ensure that they can hit the championship this season, Nuggets management decided to strengthen the team through a trade. According to the US media "NBA Analysis Network", the Nuggets have targeted the league's super scorer Kevin Durant, according to the "NBA Analysis Network" basketball analysis master James Piercey broke the news, the Nuggets have made an offer application for Durant to the Brooklyn Nets, but have not received an official response.
According to James Piercey, the Nuggets also showed the greatest sincerity in order to get Durant, not only willing to send the team's two fierce players, but also willing to offer two first-round picks, the specific offer plan is:
Nets get: Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., 2028 first-round pick (swap-DEN), 2029 first-round pick (DEN);
Nuggets get: Kevin Durant, Joe Harris.
As we all know, there are two reasons why players lose the value of trades, one is that the player is injured, and the other is that the player actively applies for a trade. Obviously, the two reasons are very different, injuries on the field are inevitable and the players cannot avoid it. In contrast, trade requests are theoretically completely avoidable. Still, such situations are common in the NBA. If a star player gets tired of their situation, they usually force themselves into a new environment. Kevin Durant and Michael Porter Jr. have had such situations and indirectly facilitated the deal.
Why did the Brooklyn Nets make this deal
In a way, it's easier to understand why the Nets are reluctant to make the deal, and Michael Porter Jr. is plagued by a back injury, which is a problem for any team. Durant, meanwhile, has been a coveted big name for any other team, and in this deal, the Nets not only get two high-potential players, but also two valuable first-round picks, and it's hard to find another team that can provide such leverage.
So far this season, the 25-year-old Murray has played 34 games for the Nuggets, averaging 18.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.3 blocks per game, shooting 45% from the field and 38% from three-point range, which is the peak of his career.
In addition, 24-year-old Porter Jr. can also return to peak form after a major injury last season, so far this season, Porter has played 27 games for the Nuggets, averaging 16.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.5 blocks per game, shooting 46.8% from the field and 40.6% from three-point range, with the potential of a superstar, if you can stay healthy, the future is limitless, and it is also a good cornerstone for the Nets.
Why the Denver Nuggets made this deal
Getting Durant is a dream of any team in the league, and the Nuggets are no exception, and in recent years the Nuggets have shown a seemingly strong but difficult state, and the peak of two-time MVP Jokic has been wasted time and again. This season, the Nuggets have a full roster and are strong, but they still seem to be close to a championship. I believe that Durant's arrival will help them achieve their dreams, after all, Durant + Jokic may be the most talented duo in the NBA, imagine the offensive between the two, the Nuggets are difficult to score on the court.
So far this season, Durant has played in 39 games for the Nets, averaging 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.5 blocks per game, still maintaining the level of a superstar, plus Jokic, who can average nearly 25+10+10 per game, and can almost declare the Nuggets a championship.
Of course, after this trade, the Nuggets roster will lack depth, and they can make up for it with Joe Harris, a shooter who shoots 38% from three-point range, while sending Murray away. In addition, the team has sharpshooter Pope, who has shot 48% from three-point range this season, so the Nuggets' backcourt will be very scary, and they will definitely stand out in the league and dominate the West almost certainly.