I haven't watched the nuggets in a while but are they playing drop coverage in the PnR? I think an athletic big who can play 15-20 minutes would be a good target where you don't have to necessarily give up Bones. I don't know about their trade assets but like a Gafford or maybe even trying to get Drummond would launch Denver into no doubt favorites in the west. Would still be vulnerable to a team that can spread but would still be a good move imo
This is gonna be a bit longwindeed but...
Jokic actually prefers to hedge. The D at its best was run that way during the Sap era. Allowed Jokic to do what he does best and create deflections / steals... We only started running drop after all the injuries to save Jokic's energy (and possibly our wings from core injuries).
This year they run drop most of the game, occasionally zone but often switch to hedging in the clutch. We had the #1 clutch D and a top 5 4th quarter D last I checked.
I was going crazy at the beginning of the year because we brought in KCP and Brown and yet the D was the worst itd been in years through roughly November. But Green got hurt and Malone stopped playing DJ..
Now we are playing Zeke (drafted #21 in 20') who is a four that can guard up in most cases and down always. Has done a great job on players like Luka and Kawhi and has the highest defensive rating on the team. He doesn't do much else other than rebounding right now. Was a 40% 3 point shooter on limited sample size his first two years but they reworked his shot for reasons nobody understands (I think to help him around the basket) and now his 3 ball is scattershot.
Playing alongside him during the month and a half Green was out was another 4 who can kinda guard up and down in Cancar. He had been relegated to Jokic's best friend for years while playing really well as Luka's teammate for Slovenia. He's been great this year. He is high IQ, can playmake a bit and is shooting 40% on 3's. He's realllly strong but does get blown by on occasion so is best suited as stretch four or small ball 5. There's also Christian Braun (wing) who plays some of the best D I've seen out of a rookie, is an elite rebounder and incredibley high IQ for a rookie. But he shoots 32% from deep.
All of that to say-- we could use a real backup 5 for limited situations (say playingntue Lakers & Thomas Bryant pr if Jokic is in foul trouble versus the Sixers) but I don't think it's the priority. Having guys who can switch like Cancar and Zeke is more valuable. And I'm not sure they are gonna cut DJ because he's beloved in the lockerroom, doesnt mind not playing and is tutoring Zeke, among others. Oh, and our 2nd rounder from this year is a switchable rim protector whose hype just keeps building.
The big issue is that Jeff Green is washed af. He's slow footed, can't rebound and his 3 has fallen off a cliff... and yet Malone seems to have inserted him back ahead of Cancar for vet / trust reasons. And him and DJ together + Bones is why thr D was so horrid early on.
Since then we have been a top 10 D. In fact we were tied at 12 over all as of last night. Considering we were at 27th entering December that's wild.
So I think the real concern is that you have guys that fit well together but 4 of them (Bones, Zeke, Cancar, Braun) haven't played much in the postseason and the guy who has (Green) is washed but might get played anyways.
So in an ideal word, you want to trade for a vet wing who is trusted in the playoffs. But because we won't be able to keep Bruce Brown in the offseason due to extension rules and don't have many draft picks, upgrading is pretty complicated unless it comes via buyout or sacrificing depth next season.
