Report: Nuggets want draft picks, swap rights in exchange for Gallinari or Chandler

All has been quiet in Denver since the Nuggets swapped centers with the Portland Trail Blazers nearly one week ago, but that hasn’t changed the perception of the Nuggets around the league and where they stand with the trade deadline just three days away.

ESPN.com’s Zach Lowe believes that the Nuggets are looking for draft picks and swap rights in exchange for Danilo Gallinari or Wilson Chandler, two wings that have been most mentioned in rumors as of late, if Denver does decide to part with either.

“The Nuggets, for their part, are seeking a lottery-protected first-round pick and swap rights on another pick for Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler, sources say. They want that No. 8 spot in the West, but they think they can get it even if they surrender one of those guys.”

Gallinari has been linked to Boston in the past week, a franchise that has long been fans of his, while the latest Chandler buzz says the Houston Rockets have their eyes on the 29-year-old. This comes days after The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski said “to watch” for either the Oklahoma City Thunder or Los Angeles Clippers with Chandler.

The thinking in Denver, per Lowe, is that the Nuggets can still get the eighth seed in the West and their first playoff birth in three years even if they part with one of their wings. However, New Orleans’ acquisition of DeMarcus Cousins may crack that confidence just a bit.

It will take time for the Pelicans to gain cohesion and rhythm with their new-look frontcourt, but with three games remaining against the Nuggets, the eighth seed is very much still in play. Portland, who sits two games back of Denver, is still very much in the thick of things as well.

Can the Nuggets get that illustrious playoff birth and date with the Golden State Warriors with their current roster?

Yes.

Can Denver trade either Chandler and Gallinari and still achieve the eighth seed in the West?

Maybe.

That’s what Denver’s front office will be asking themselves from now, through Thursday’s deadline.