What the Nuggets accomplished on one of the busiest trade deadline days of the Tim Connelly era

Thursday’s trade deadline was one of the busiest of the Tim Connelly era.

When the dust settled, the Nuggets had shipped out three players — Malik Beasley, Juancho Hernangomez and Jarred Vanderbilt, who all went to Minnesota — as part of a four-team trade and inherited four, Keita Bates-Diop, Noah Vonleh, Gerald Green and Jordan McRae.

Denver took on McRae from the Washington Wizards in exchange for Shabazz Napier, who the Nuggets acquired as part of the four-team mega deal with Minnesota. Green, who Denver received from the Houston Rockets, is expected to be waived. He’s been sidelined since October after undergoing surgery on a broken foot.

Denver also pocketed Houston’s 2020 first-round pick in the four-team deal.

Here’s what the Nuggets accomplished.

• Denver got a first-round pick in return for two impending restricted free agents (Beasley and Hernangomez) who both likely weren’t going to be back next season.
• The Nuggets received four players (Bates-Diop, Vonleh, Green, McRae) who are all on expiring contracts, so Denver didn’t commit any long-term money to any of their new additions.
• Denver acquired three players — Bates-Diop, Vonleh and McRae — who can help over the final few months of this season.
• The Nuggets made those additions without parting with any of their top-10 players (Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Will Barton, Paul Millsap, Gary Harris, Michael Porter Jr., Jerami Grant, Mason Plumlee, who’s injured, Monte Morris and Torrey Craig).

On McRae…

Think of McRae as Beasley’s replacement. The 6-foot-5 two-guard is a career 36.4% shooter from 3 and is converting on 37.7% of his triples this season. He has great length — McRae measured a 7-feet and 1/2 wingspan at the 2014 combine — and some playmaking ability. One league executive called McRae a “poor man’s Will Barton.”

I wouldn’t expect McRae to ultimately play too regular minutes in the night-to-night rotation once the Nuggets get fully healthy (Beasley didn’t even get consistent minutes when Denver was at full strength), but he can plug some holes with how banged up the Nuggets currently are. If Denver still struggles to shoot the ball later this season and into the playoffs his number could be called. McRae can get hot in a hurry.

If the Nuggets like what they see over the final two months of the season, McRae will be a wayyyyy cheaper option than Beasley to re-sign this summer. On the year, McRae is shooting better from 3 than Beasley who’s sunk 36% of his attempts from distance. (Vonleh could be a cheaper option next season than Plumlee too if Denver and the Nuggets’ current backup center decide to go their separate ways.)

Of course, McRae at 28-years-old doesn’t have the upside of Beasley. He’s not the game-changing type force Beasley has proven to be at times this season either.

On Bates-Diop…

The other name to keep your eye on in this deal is Bates-Diop. The 24-year-old, 6-foot-8 forward is in the mold of a player that I said Denver should target in the lead-up to the deadline, someone that fits the same bill that Will Barton did when the Nuggets traded for the reserve guard in 2015.

Barton had talent but played sparingly for Portland over his first three NBA seasons and the Trail Blazers cashed him in for Arron Afflalo, who at the time was the centerpiece of the trade. With a bigger role, Barton has gone on to flourish in Denver. Like Barton, one of the main questions that surrounds Bates-Diop is his shot and on the season he’s shooting only 33% from three-point range.

Bates-Diop wasn’t able to crack the 18-minute per game barrier in Minnesota and likely won’t at least this season in Denver. But he’s under the same contract as the outgoing Vanderbilt was and Bates Diop’s 2020-21 salary doesn’t guarantee for $1.66 million until July 7. Vanderbilt’s contract guarantees on July 15 for roughly the same amount.

Bates-Diop will be a cheap, low-cost option this season and next, and will provide depth and versatile defense at both forward spots. He’s rangy and regarded around the league as a high IQ player. In two years, who knows? He could be a steady role player that compliments the Nuggets’ core.