Nuggets nearly acquired Hawks’ Paul Millsap, per report

In Zach Lowe’s latest on Kevin Durant and the Megalodon that was just formed in Golden State, he reports that the Denver Nuggets nearly pulled off a trade for the Atlanta Hawks’ Paul Millsap involving Kenneth Faried and an assortment of draft picks.

Presti doesn’t want to trade Westbrook, but if he feels backed into a corner, he will chase young players and draft picks. The Phoenix Sunsreportedly talked with the Atlanta Hawks about Paul Millsap, and they come armed with prospects galore, extra point guards and two future Miami picks. The Denver Nuggets had the Hawks biting on a package of picks and players, including Kenneth Faried, for Millsap, per several league sources, but it’s unclear if Denver would chase Westbrook. Both teams have enough cap space left to renegotiate and extend Westbrook, though he may not have any interest in sticking around either place.

Who knows how far these talks got but it sounds like the Hawks nearly took the bait. Faried plus draft picks, which probably included the Memphis 2017 protected pick and maybe the Nuggets 2017 first-round selection would be ample value for Millsap.

Millsap would fit great in Denver. He’d pair with Jokic nicely and would team with Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler, Jokic and the rest of the young core in Denver to give the Nuggets a solid offensive punch. The 2016 All-Star averaged 17.1 points, 9.0 rebounds and nearly two blocks per game last season with Atlanta and is a prototypical, modern-day NBA big that can play in pretty much any scheme. The 31-year-old can stretch the defense from three, bang down low, rebound, and switch onto guards on the perimeter – all qualities of successful, new-age big men.

Since the Hawks lost Al Horford in free agency but brought in Dwight Howard, they’re not in full rebuild mode and Millsap is likely off the market, for now.

With Horford committing to Celtics, Hawks are expected to halt trade talks and will keep Paul Millsap.

— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) July 2, 2016

However, Millsap has a player option next summer, which he’ll likely decline with the salary cap still climbing, meaning he could be a prime target for the Nuggets in the summer of 2017. Team president and governor Josh Kroenke recently revealed to the Denver Post the team’s plans for 2017 and beyond and a free agent like Millsap could be exactly who Kroenke and general manager Tim Connelly have their eyes on.