The NBA hot stove is heating up as the Feb. 23 trade deadline approaches, and the Denver Nuggets are at the center of the action.
The Nuggets, who traded center Jusuf Nurkic on Sunday, have another valuable trade asset that they might be willing to part with, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein.
Sources tell Stein that Nuggets leading scorer Danilo Gallinari is drawing interest as the deadline nears, most notably from the Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors.
The Nuggets are anticipating that Gallinari will opt to become a free agent this summer, and Denver isn’t keen on spending a lot of money to retain the Italian sharpshooter, sources tell Stein.
Gallinari is averaging 17.2 points per game this season for the Nuggets, who currently sit in the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Denver would be wise to deal the oft-injured Gallinari as it’s unlikely to make a playoff run, and could recoup valuable assets for a player who could deliver bench scoring to the playoff-bound Clippers or Rockets.
Thumbnail photo via Isaiah J. Downing/USA TODAY Sports Images
