Earthquakes, mass confusion and a Western Conference power shift: How it all affects the Nuggets

LAS VEGAS — Tremors from Friday’s first earthquake were felt inside Thomas & Mack Center at 9:23 p.m Pacific Time.

The ground shook for two minutes straight as the jumbotron ominously swayed back and forth after the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Southern California. The arena’s public address announcer tried to calm the nerves of a near-capacity crowd that was attending Zion Williamson’s Pelicans’ debut but fans — many of whom had shelled out more than $100 for tickets on the secondary market — nervously scurried up the aisles searching for an exit. On the ground level of the arena, league officials frantically tried to formulate a plan.

Soon, the final 7:53 of the New Orleans and Chicago matchup was canceled. Denver and Phoenix, who were set to play the final game of the night at Thomas & Mack afterward, was to be moved to Cox Pavilion, the auxiliary gym positioned adjacent to the main court where games were also being played. But as players from both the Nuggets and Suns began to make the five minutes walk in between gyms, Summer League organizer Warren LeGarie said the game may not be played. Five minutes later, it was officially off as the Nuggets’ contingent that flew to Las Vegas, which included Stan and Josh Kroenke, Michael Malone, Tim Connelly and their respective staffs, exited stage right.

Friday’s second earthquake hit at 11:53 p.m. Kawhi Leonard was signing with the Los Angeles Clippers. Shockwaves from that bombshell report ripped through the Las Vegas strip faster than a blackjack table at the Cosmopolitan shreds through your wallet. Many around the league were stunned at the Clippers’ free agency coup and then trade for Paul George as the power in the Western Conference shifted once again.

By the end of the night, the Clippers had emerged as the rightful favorites in the West.

Rival teams will surely attempt to answer Los Angeles’ power play, but even after July’s free agency flurry don’t expect Friday’s events to change Denver’s mindset entering next season.

“We’ve had the most success when we’ve shown patience and allowed guys to play into bigger roles,” Connelly said last month. “We will look to better ourselves in the coming weeks but we’re not the least bit scared of coming back with largely the same group.”

The Nuggets remain confident in doubling down on their continuity, a lost currency in today’s NBA, and potential internal growth. Denver could move on from Trey Lyles and may be able to bolster its lineup with rookie Michael Porter Jr., but next year the Nuggets will most likely look like a carbon copy of last season’s 54-win team.

Never the less, the Nuggets, as Connelly put it, always have their ear to the ground, and with Marc Stein’s report Friday that Denver would have interest in Andre Iguodala if the Grizzlies want to move on from the swingman, a potential move suddenly emerges that would give the Nuggets added firepower.

Acquiring Iguodala would be a home run addition for Denver. Not many players in the league possess his combination of pedigree, basketball IQ and defensive versatility, which the Nuggets desperately need on the wing. Come playoff time, he’s an X-factor you want on the floor and Denver has enough shooting to make up for his biggest weakness. Iguodala is a body that the Nuggets can throw at Leonard, George, LeBron James and the West’s other top wings in the postseason and while he may not stop them — no one can — he can make their lives difficult. Currently, the Nuggets’ only wing defender who’s deployable in an Iguodala-type fashion is Torrey Craig.

Iguodala isn’t the same offensive player that he was during his first go around in Denver when the Nuggets acquired him from Philadelphia in 2012, but he’d be a useful option next to Nikola Jokic. The 35-year-old’s savvy and nuanced game would fit the Nuggets’ equal-opportunity offensive approach and next to Denver’s All-Star center, Iguodala’s ability as an off-ball cutter would shine.

There’s baggage that comes with Iguodala and his exit from Denver in 2013 after the Nuggets fell in the first round to the Warriors which looms large too. George Karl called Iguodala the Warriors’ “mole” in the series for tipping parts of Denver’s game plan and the forward reportedly dropped hints throughout the playoffs that he wouldn’t mind taking his talents to Golden State the following season.

That was six years ago and a lot has changed since. It’s surely not a memory that Kroenke or some around the organization who still remain from that era would like to reminisce about but it’s not difficult to see how Iguodala would strengthen the Nuggets’ championship hopes or why Denver would be interested. Iguodala shared what he liked and disliked about his time with the Nuggets in his new book The Sixth Man, which I’d recommend reading in its entirety.

Will Barton, who will make $12.8 million next season to Iguodala’s $17.2 million and played two seasons at the University of Memphis in college, could seemingly be the centerpiece of a trade, plus either Trey Lyles or Juancho Hernangomez. The probability of a deal likely comes down to what the Grizzlies would ask for in return, if that would include draft compensation, and how they viewed one of Denver’s fringe rotation pieces. If Iguodala is bought out, Denver would have to compete with a slew of contenders for his services.

Still, it’s a move Denver doesn’t have to make. The Nuggets can run back their current core with Jokic, Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Paul Millsap, Malik Beasley and Monte Morris and still contend for the conference crown. But with Iguodala who’s still one of the more malleable players in the league and can play alongside a variety of lineup combinations, Denver moves up a tier in the West.

It would be a power move to answer the Clippers’ extraordinary haul and not quite another earthquake but an addition that would send a few tremors reverberating off the Rocky Mountains.