Denver Nuggets Receive: G Caris LeVert
Indiana Pacers Receive: F JaMychal Green, F Jeff Green, G Facundo Campazzo, DEN 2024 2nd Round Pick, DEN 2025 2nd Round Pick
Before anything else, it is worth noting that this would not be the trade that gets Caris LeVert to Denver, but more so the assets that the Nuggets would need to offer up in order to absorb LeVert’s $17.5M salary for this season.
The Denver Nuggets are already about $23M over the salary cap for this season and with them being right under the tax line, any trade that they could make will likely result in them crossing this luxury tax threshold.
Seeing as Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and P.J. Dozier are all out indefinitely right now, the Nuggets are left with very few tradable assets on their roster and it is unlikely that they would want to trade either Will Barton or Monte Morris as a result.
This leaves them with JaMychal Green ($8.2M), Jeff Green ($4.5M), and Facundo Campazzo ($3.1M) as players whose contracts would add up to about $15.8M this season.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 3 Affordable Michael Porter Jr. Replacements For Nuggets
While this is still below Caris LeVert’s salary, the Denver Nuggets would be able to take on the extra $1.7M in this trade, but all three guys would likely be re-routed to a third or fourth team as an extension of this trade so Indiana can get future value.
If they are to trade away Caris LeVert, this would signal that the Indiana Pacers are looking to do some kind of rebuild and therefore, guys like JaMychal Green, Jeff Green, and Facundo Campazzo do not really help them. Maybe they would keep Campazzo with T.J. McConnell out indefinitely, but it is highly likely that if LeVert gets shipped to Denver, that both JaMychal Green and Jeff Green would be sent to playoff contenders for draft picks going back to Indiana.
Things can get confusing as more and more teams get involved in trades, but these two veteran forwards are on favorable contracts that fit several team’s trade exceptions around the league.
The Brooklyn Nets, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers and Washington Wizards are just a few contending playoff teams that have trade exceptions that they could use to acquire one or both of JaMychal and Jeff Green.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 3 Affordable Michael Porter Jr. Replacements For Nuggets
It is definitely feasible for the Nuggets to make this trade, but it would come with some consequences. Not only would they see their tax bill rise, but they would have to give up three rotational players that are all playing big roles right now given the injuries on their roster.
For a team that may not have a shot to make a deep playoff run because of said injuries, this may not be the best move for the Denver Nuggets to make at this team, even though Caris LeVert could pair nicely with Will Barton on the wing.
