Nuggets Show Interest in Micić; Could Be an Ideal Fit Alongside Jokić
According to Marc Stein, the Denver Nuggets have shown some interest in Serbian point guard Vasilije Micić, who has been a long-time teammate of superstar Nikola Jokić on the national team.
This interest is logical not only because of the Serbian connection between Jokić and Micić but also due to the recent departures of Bruce Brown in the summer of 2023 and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope earlier this year.
While the Nuggets have effectively utilized their draft picks in recent years, most of those players are still a few years away from contributing, and their recent acquisition of Russell Westbrook is seen as a hopeful move at best.
Micić, currently with the Charlotte Hornets, is a skilled and seasoned point guard with impressive size (6’5). He has won back-to-back Euroleague championships and earned multiple MVP awards.
He played 60 games last season, his first in the NBA, and averaged 7.0 points, and 4.4 assists, in 19.6 minutes, splitting time between the Hornets, and the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he started the year.
At 30, it’s fair to question how much sense he makes on the Hornets, given where the team is time-wise, plus the fact that most of their roster is young, and not close to being competitively viable at this stage.
A move to Denver would immediately position Micić in a prime spot. His chemistry with Jokić from their past would make them a great fit, and he would enhance Denver’s backcourt depth.
With Micić on the team, Jamal Murray could shift to shooting guard more often, allowing him to focus more on scoring.
Micić is earning just over $7.7 million this season, but the Nuggets could acquire him by using Zeke Nnaji’s $8.8 million contract. However, since the Nuggets are over the first salary cap apron, they cannot combine salaries, so packaging several young players isn’t an option.
Nnaji has had two consecutive seasons where his usually reliable shooting has declined, so the Hornets might demand draft compensation to finalize the deal. Denver’s draft pick situation is complicated due to past trades.
The Nuggets owe first-round picks to the Magic and Thunder, with the Orlando obligation likely settled next year in 2025. Denver should be free of their obligations to Oklahoma City by 2027, but this is still uncertain.
Adding to the complexity is the fact that Denver has already traded away nearly all of their available second-round picks, which could have been useful in balancing the deal.
However, there is still hope. Denver could potentially trade some of their young players in exchange for less salary and draft compensation, which could then be used to acquire Micić.
While it’s not a straightforward process, it might be worth the effort for the Nuggets, as finding a better fit for their superstar within the NBA would be challenging.
