As the NBA trade deadline draws near, a lot of chatter has revolved around whether the Denver Nuggets will be a buyer or seller. If the Nuggets acquisition of Mason Plumlee from the Portland Trail Blazers is any indication, it will be the former.
“When you look at our team needs: vertical threat, size, position behind Nikola [Jokic], potentially next to Nikola, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better fit,” Nuggets general manager Tim Connelly said Monday of Plumlee.
Not only do the Nuggets see the move helping them now, but also going forward. Plumlee will be a restricted free agent following the season, but the team does not view his acquisition as a rental.
“He’s here for the long-term,” Connelly said. “The deal was not done just for today, it was done for years moving forward. We think having the restricted rights, having the ability to get to know him and for him to get to know us, was important.”
Though he is unlikely to play Monday night against the Golden State Warriors, Connelly is ‘cautiously optimistic” Plumlee will be in uniform. Following the game, he is expected to be “ready to roll.”
Connelly didn’t completely tip his hand as to whether the team will be buyers or sellers, but did say that he hopes to make a playoffs, though it’s not “playoffs or bust.” He isn’t ruling out making another move.
“We still have, whatever it is, 10 days to go until the trade deadline,” he said. “We’ll be active on the phones.”
