(FortCollins-CO) When the free agency market opens up on July 1st, the Nuggets are going to have quite the list of players who are going to be eligible. Reggie Evans, Francisco Elson, DerMarr Johnson, Greg Buckner, and Nene will all be free agents in about a week. And don’t forget that Carmelo Anthony also is in need of some managerial maintenance.
The most intriguing story is probably the one shaping up at power forward. With Nene expected to make a return next year, the Nuggets have an overload at the four position. Francisco Elson, Reggie Evans, Nene, and the possible return of Kenyon Martin make the four the most confusing to sort out. Nene hasn’t played in a year, but keep in mind, he was a work in progress when he was playing. With Reggie Evans, you know what your going to get consistently night in and night out on the boards and on defense, but that also means that you sacrifice on the offensive end. When substituting Francisco Elson into the lineup you just flat out never know what your going to get, positive or negative. And Kenyon Martin is about as explosive as a C4 one night, but then may not play for the next three games.
The Nuggets obviously need to evaluate this power forward conundrum, and so do I.
With the most recent outburst in the Denver Post I do not think Kenyon Martin did himself any favors in relation to being in a Nuggets uniform next season. So assuming that he will not be back, and that Nene will be at least as productive as he was before he went down with the injury. It is only fair to assume that in this scenario Francisco Elson is going to be the odd man out. With Reggie, the Nuggets can rely on him to grab six or seven rebounds a game. Francisco just doesn’t have any seriously reliable aspect to his game. This is just one possible scenario that the Nuggets need to examine…
The next possible outcome that could come out from this tangle at the four is combining Nene’s potential and Kenyon Martin in a trade that sends both big men out of town. A lot of rumor has been spreading about the conditioning and continued progression of Nene, but what about if he comes back and its all just been a smoke screen for a guy that is held in warm regards, while his stat line is overlooked? Nene has always been capable of great things, but has certainly been in a transitioning phase from young talent to consistent contributor. If this kind of trade were to go through, the Nuggets would then have Elson and Reggie Evans, but hopefully a big time scorer in return for the aforementioned two. With a big time scorer now on the roster, Reggie Evans’s defensive attributes have that much more room to shine, and Francisco’s inconsistencies have a chance to right themselves as he improves.
Ahhh, to have a crystal ball would be nice, but if I can prescribe anything for the Nuggets right now it is to get back to business and get your dirty laundry from off the clothesline in the front yard. Both potential scenarios have their down faults. Lets hear some comments on both.
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