The NBA’s trade deadline is now just nine days away, and counting. It’s tough sorting through rumors, but one thing is for sure: Tim Connelly and his staff are always looking for ways to improve the roster.

“We like the way we are trending,” said Connelly at his contract extension press conference on Jan. 19. “I think it would be shortsighted not to be aggressive. We don’t want to rush the process. We don’t want to be shortsighted. I think opportunistic is probably a word I overly use, but I think it’s important to always be aggressive, always work the calls. And you never know what potential trade could materialize that could make the team better now and for the future.”

Connelly was asked at the presser if the team was searching to add draft picks or to add potential players to the roster.

“You never know,” said Connelly. “I like our pick situation. I think it stacks up favorably with most teams. Next couple years I think with the skyrocketing cap, I think picks have taken on that much more value. So, I think — depending on the pick — I think it would be wrong to ever say, ‘We’re only fixated on this or that.’ Some of these young guys, it’s gonna be hard to bring a player in, for (the acquired player) to take their minutes.”

So, just who could the Nuggets be looking to add? Well, that’s a fluid situation that can change at any time — and Connelly recognizes that with the above quotes.

The Nuggets roster and draft pick situation is like having a pocket full of cash and heading into a store. You may look around, you may buy something, you may not. But you have to go into the store, you have money in your pocket and it never hurts to look around and see if something piques your interest.

Let’s run through some trade options:

1.) Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers: That was likely a lot of teams kicking the tires to see if the Clippers were fielding offers for the power forward. Cross him off the list. The Clippers would be insane to trade Griffin, who has a broken hand, at the moment.

2.) Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks: He’s in the final year of his contract that pays him $12 million and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. He’s the former No. 3 overall pick of the 2007 draft and has played all nine of his NBA seasons with the Hawks. At 29 years-old he fits the bill of a “veteran difference maker” that an ESPN report sourced the Nuggets as being interested in (more on that below).

Would Denver gamble on a potential unrestricted free agent that they’d have to sell quickly on a rebuilding franchise? If the Nuggets were able to keep Danilo Gallinari and Will Barton in a deal with the Hawks, that could go a little ways in selling Horford that a chance to compete is just around the corner with promising youngsters: Emmanuel Mudiay, Gary Harris and Nikola Jokic.

Would a deal involving Kenneth Faried and Jusuf Nurkic be enough to entice the Hawks to pull the trigger on a potential trade? If the Nuggets also included a first-round pick, it could get talks going. It’d be a major gamble by Denver’s front office, but would give the team a defensive minded player that can space the floor on offense (mid-range and some 3-point ability). How would Horford do playing power forward in the West? Can he pair with Jokic? It’s an unlikely scenario, but one that Denver could kick the tires on.

3.) Jeff Teague, Hawks: The Nuggets likely wouldn’t have interest in a point guard with Mudiay being handed the keys. Cross him off the list.

4.) Kyle Korver, Hawks: At 34 years-old, Korver is not a realistic target for the Nuggets — he’s a touch too old to be a “veteran difference maker,” although he can still space the floor.

5.) Michael Carter-Williams, Milwaukee Bucks: He’s rumored to be on the market and could give the Nuggets a similar player to backup Mudiay. He’s just 24 years-old and goes 6-foot-6 and 190 lbs., a big point guard that struggles shooting the ball. Perhaps he’s too similar to Mudiay, and not quite dynamic enough for this team. Williams still has two years left on his rookie contract, but isn’t likely a target.

6.) Greg Monroe, Bucks: The big man signed a deal with the Bucks in the offseason and is rumored to be on the block. It’s hard to imagine the Nuggets looking at Monroe, cross him off the list.

7.) Tobias Harris, Orlando Magic: He’s a 6-foot-9 small forward who can defend and has a nice all-around game on offense. He’s only 23 years-old and is under contract for the next three seasons at: $17.2 million, $16 million and $14.8 million. The Magic are not believed to be shopping Harris, but there have been rumors that they are listening to offers.

Orlando is in a bit of a similar situation as the Nuggets. A young team that is trying to figure out what the next step is and they are believed to be looking to add a veteran presence to help guide them. It would make sense that a deal with Orlando would call for Danilo Gallinari, but one can’t be sure the Magic would be interested in his veteran presence. And the Nuggets are believed to be wanting to pair someone to build with Gallo, not in place of him (depending on the deal).

8.) DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings: At 25 years-old, Cousins is still a tantalizing talent for some. With the Kings situation always up in the air, who knows if they’d entertain moving him as reports suggest head coach George Karl will be keeping his job — for now.

Cousins has a relationship with Michael Malone, but with Denver having Jokic as a potential center for years to come, it wouldn’t make a ton of sense to add Cousins to the mix — especially from a team culture aspect. Could Malone and Cousins reunion be a success? Potentially. But it could also potentially wreck the franchise for years to come. Cousins is locked into his contract for two more seasons at $16.9 million and $18 million, but be careful what you wish for with him.

If those trade options don’t excite you, don’t worry. Those are just a sampling of a few names that have surfaced league-wide. There could be trade talks — and definitely are — that we’ll never know about and possibilities that go unseen until they happen. It might make the most sense for the Nuggets not to do anything, or do make a small move to get a player like J.J. Hickson to another roster. Patience is key for the Nuggets, but making an under the radar move could propel the team.

Raise your hand if you saw the Nuggets dealing Allen Iverson for Chauncey Billups? Raise it again if you knew for sure the gamble would work? How about the gamble for Will Barton? Big moves, small moves … who knows what could happen.

Nuggets searching for a veteran difference maker, according to ESPN reports

A report came out today from Kevin Arnovitz and Brian Windhorst of ESPN with the following nugget on the Nuggets:

If the Hawks decide to test the market for Horford, numerous teams would potentially show interest. Sources inform ESPN that the Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, and Magic have been the most aggressive in looking to acquire a veteran difference maker.

As noted above in Connelly’s quotes, the team is always on the lookout to add a potential difference maker that has experience in the league that could make the team better now and in the future. It would be asinine for them not to take that view. So, we’ll continue to hear rumors involving the Nuggets until the deadline and again this summer. The team has enough young talent to entice GMs to call and they own a plethora of draft picks that could also help a variety of teams.

Denver Nuggets draft pick situation: 

The Nuggets own all of their own first-round picks in the coming years. They owe second-round picks to the Pelicans in 2016 (this season), the Rockets in 2017 and the Jazz in 2018. They also are owed a second-rounder from the Warriors in 2018 as part of the Andre Iguodala deal. Here are the first-round picks Denver owns:

• Memphis Grizzlies: 2016 — Owed first-rounder. That pick is top-5 protected and protected 15-30 through 2016. If it doesn’t convey in 2016 then it’s top-5 protected in 2017 and again in 2018 and it’s unprotected in 2019.The likely scenario with that Memphis pick is that it conveys in 2017.
• New York Knicks: 2016 — The Nuggets have the right to swap first-round picks with New York Knicks.Essentially, the Nuggets have two shots at winning the NBA lottery with their own pick or with the Knicks pick. Denver will get the better of the two picks and the other belongs to the Toronto Raptors from a deal the Knicks made for Andrea Bargnani.
• Portland Trail Blazers: 2016 — Owed first-rounder. That pick is lottery protected (1-14) through 2017. It converts to second-rounder picks in 2018 (potential swap with Kings) and one in 2019.Portland is currently in 9th place in the Western Conference and the pick could convey this season — potentially — if the Blazers make the playoffs.
• Houston Rockets: 2016 — Owed first-rounder. That pick is lottery protected (1-14), otherwise it converts to a Portland Trail Blazers 2017 second-round pick.The Rockets are currently in 7th place in the Western Conference and the pick could convey this season — potentially — if the Rockets make the playoffs.