Roundtable: What does Thomas Bryant add to the Nuggets' bench?

The Denver Nuggets had a somewhat busy trade deadline. Bones Hyland was sent to the Clippers, Davon Reed went to the Lakers, and the Nuggets got back center Thomas Bryant. With an open roster spot, Denver still can dip into the buyout market and add to their roster. DNVR Nuggets reviews the moves from Thursday and assesses where the Nuggets stand in a suddenly more competitive Western Conference.

Where will Thomas Bryant help the Nuggets the most?

Adam Mares: Scoring. Easily. Bryant was scoring 20 points per 36 minutes on a Lakers team that didn’t feature him in the offense. He has elite touch around the basket and a knack for scoring. He will likely be the 2nd option anytime that he is on the court with bench lineups. He may have more to offer than what he’s shown thus far in his career in the pick-and-pop game. He may even be able to play alongside Nikola Jokic in twin towers lineups, thanks to his ability to space the floor or punish mismatches, a versatility on offense that makes him difficult to guard.

Harrison Wind: His scoring on the second unit will give the bench a needed jolt. Bryant is averaging 12.1 points per game this season and does most of his work in the paint. 25% of his shot attempts are dunks and he’s the only player in the NBA this season that has over 60 dunks in fewer than 900 minutes played. He’s going to give the Nuggets what they were hoping DeAndre Jordan would. Bryant will be a rim presence on offense and an athletic backup center who can run the floor and use his gravity to attract attention in the restricted area.

Brendan Vogt: Ironically, he could have helped Bones Hyland. Alas. He can still be an asset for Jamal Murray, Ish Smith, and Bruce Brown. He’s an underrated athlete and more dynamic around the rim than either Nnaji or DAJ at this stage in his career. He’s no stalwart, but the bench needs more firepower. A big who draws attention near the rim could go a long way to establishing an offensive identity in the half-court.

What’s your reaction to the Bones Hyland trade, and who’s your favorite buyout point guard to replace him?

Adam: Now that the dust has settled, I feel a fine with the Bones trade. The return seems low but it’s hard to run from the fact that he was a major negative this season in the plus-minus column, a defensive liability even If he were to commit to playing harder on that end, and may have lost the trust of the team’s leaders. The success of the trade will come down to whether or not Bryant makes a positive impact on the non-Jokic minutes. If he does, then the trade was a success.

As for buyout candidates, I still think the Nuggets need a point guard. Patrick Beverley and Reggie Jackson are both intriguing to me. Their talent and fit likely works. But would either of them be ok collecting DNP-CD’s every now and then? Would they be ok not playing in certain games in the playoffs? Denver needs a point guard that can help get them through the regular season but may not need one that plays every game or heavy minutes in the playoffs. That is a tough needle to thread. Players want to play.

Harrison: The fact that the Nuggets pulled the trigger on a Bones trade and only received two second-round picks in return tells you two things: His trade value across the league was almost non-existent and the Nuggets were done with him — so done with him that it wasn’t even worth holding onto Bones for the rest of the season and attempt to get more value in a trade in the offseason. It had become pretty clear that Bones had lost the trust of the coaching staff, front office, and the locker room, and the latter of those three meant that he couldn’t stay in Denver past the deadline. To win a championship, everyone on your roster needs to be pulling in the same direction. The Nuggets felt that Bones wasn’t and couldn’t risk him being a distraction as Denver tried pushed toward the playoffs.

Reggie Jackson is the No. 1 point guard available on the buyout market, and it seems like he has multiple suitors including the Suns. He’d bring stability to that position, which it seems like Denver needs after watching the Orlando loss last night. But I’m somewhat intrigued by Patrick Beverley too. He’d be a somewhat risky add but would play defense. You could use him like the Nuggets used Shaq Harrison in the playoffs a couple of years ago as a situational defender.

Brendan: It’s not a great value trade, but that’s not necessarily a criticism of the front office. Bones played an essential role in the deterioration of trust between him and the organization. The front office clearly felt his presence would be more distracting than anything else on a championship roster. They did what they had to do, and Bones tied their hands. But the reality is if you reflect on the highs and lows of his career, his obvious potential, and his fan-favorite status, the return is disappointing. This is a suboptimal outcome regardless of where the fault lies.

As for the buyout market, I’m on the Reggie Jackson trade with everyone else. Buyouts rarely have the intended effect on a roster, but Denver has an open spot, and trying is better than sitting on their hands.

Power rank the Western Conference playoff teams 1-8 post-trade deadline

Adam:

1. Nuggets
2. Warriors
3. Suns
4. Clippers
5. Mavericks
6. Grizzlies
7. Lakers
8. Kings

Harrison:

1. Nuggets
2. Suns
3. Mavs
4. Grizzlies
5. Warriors
6. Lakers
7. Clippers
8. Kings

Brendan:

1. Nuggets
2. Suns (they have to play and look good first, but they could very well leap-frog Denver)
3. Grizzlies
4. Mavs
5. Warriors (only earned through championship pedigree//starters still great)
6. Clippers
7. Kings
8. Lakers