Why Denver Nuggets Hold All the Cards Heading into NBA Trade Deadline Day

With clocks ticking toward the 2015 NBA trade deadline, the Denver Nuggets have been sitting in the driver's seat for a large portion of the festivities. Or really, the lack of festivities at this point in the process, as there haven't been any significant moves in quite some time.

The market is littered with players who could be traded before 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, Feb. 19. Goran Dragic, Enes Kanter, Reggie Jackson, Brook Lopez and many more are on the block. But even with all those names ready to be acquired by new organizations, it's the Nuggets that control the proceedings with only hours remaining.

Their roster may not be stacked with superstars and All-Star candidates, but it's chock-full of pieces that can realistically be moved before the deadline.

Headliners who can move jerseys off the shelves in a new location? Denver has those and may be looking to move them. Role players who can make significant impacts on teams in contention? Ditto.

Right now, it seems as if "everyone must go" is the Mile High City mantra.

And until the Nuggets act, whether it's by making a move or withdrawing their players from consideration, it's going to be tough for anyone else to get the process moving. Grantland's Zach Lowe explains:

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The Nuggets are at the epicenter. They've been seeking multiple first-round picks for both Wilson Chandler and Arron Afflalo, talking with obvious contender types like the Blazers and ambulance-chasing with banged-up playoff teams like the Wizards. Snagging two firsts for Timofey Mozgov emboldened the Denver front office to chase big returns, and the rest of the league is waiting for Denver to step back as the deadline approaches.

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All eyes should be on this struggling organization right now, especially because it's going to be so hard for the Suns to get proper value for Dragic—the best player available—while he's on an expiring deal.

The Nuggets have plenty of contributors apparently sitting tight on the block, and the murky deadline picture won't clear up until that's no longer the case.

Ty Lawson

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Quite obviously the Nuggets' best player, Ty Lawson is having an impressive season during an otherwise forgettable Denver campaign. Averaging 16.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 10.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game, the speedy but diminutive point guard likely would've drawn serious All-Star consideration if he A) played in the Eastern Conference, B) were suiting up for a more successful squad or C) went to work in a bigger market.

But that hasn't kept Lawson from being put up for auction.

Looking past the fact that trading the floor general and replacing him with George Hill would be both a serious downgrade and akin to the franchise picking head coach Brian Shaw over the team's best player, there are a few reasons this might be happening.

Lowe hits two of them:

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But he'll be 28 at the start of next season, the ankle is worrisome, and he's had some off-the court issues; he was arrested on suspicion of DUI a few weeks ago, and Brian Shaw famously toyed with eliminating daytime shootarounds because his players like the nightlife, baby. Shaw and Lawson have clashed at times this season, though that's not necessarily a big issue. He'll be 30 at the start of his next major contract, meaning the end of that deal could be a little ugly.

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Committing to Lawson might get expensive, and that isn't necessarily something the Nuggets want to do if they're opting for a full-scale rebuild. He's also the team's best shot at bringing in some major assets, whether they're coming in the form of first-round picks or young players with lots of upside.

Additionally, there's a chance that missing the first practice after the All-Star break may have put a nail in Lawson's coffin with the Nuggets.

"We had a week off or nine days between games, and you expect everybody to be here," a peeved Shaw told Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post after his point guard got stuck in Las Vegas rather than showing up at the Pepsi Center. "It disrupts the planning of everything, in terms of you count on somebody in practice. But he's not here so we had to go without him."

There's a chance that the Nuggets could be going without him for a lot longer, even if that would have sounded completely nonsensical heading into the 2014-15 campaign.

And with so many teams desperate for a point guard (or a star in general)—the New York Knicks, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and more—it'll be tough for anyone to settle on deals for lesser players until the Lawson situation is resolved.

Kenneth Faried

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The Nuggets only just committed to Kenneth Faried, handing him a massive extension in the immediate wake of his dominance for Team USA at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain. But now, it appears as if that decision is already a regrettable one.

In addition to the report of Basketball Insiders' Alex Kennedy that executives are waiting to see what happens with Faried, Lowe wrote, "The sense around the league is that you could land Lawson or Faried with a Godfather offer."

What the Nuggets choose to do with the long-haired power forward will ultimately determine the direction in which the franchise is going. And the direction in which the franchise is going will ultimately determine what they do at the deadline. And, as we've discussed, what they do at the deadline will ultimately determine the course of action for other teams.

Faried has been at the heart of the Nuggets' identity crisis this season, as he's a big man best served running up and down the court to make use of his relentless energy and athleticism. He's clashed with Shaw on the sidelines multiple times, been kept in the locker room past halftime and seemed like a poor fit in general for what's being run on both sides of the court.

Instead of breaking out and justifying his extension, he's regressed, averaging only 11.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game while shooting a career-worst 50.4 percent from the field. Per Basketball-Reference.com, his player efficiency rating—17.3—is also the lowest he's produced since leaving Morehead State.

It would take a lot for another team to get its hands on Faried, as he's still a fan favorite in Denver and remains one of the biggest ticket draws for the Pepsi Center's patrons. But he can be had, if only because general manager Tim Connelly may well commit to that full-scale rebuild that caters more to the playing style and roster desired by his head coach.

The Shooters: Wilson Chandler and Arron Afflalo

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Both these players are capable of fitting in on contending teams right away. They can play defense in the right systems, and each thrives when asked to serve as a floor-spacing wing player who isn't the first offensive option.

It shouldn't be surprising that quite a few teams in contention would like to get their hands on either one.

As Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reported earlier this week, "The Clippers have probed the market with Jamal Crawford to see if there's a way to acquire a first-round pick that could help them make a competitive offer to Denver for Wilson Chandler or Arron Afflalo, league sources said."

But the Los Angeles Clippers aren't the only team going after Afflalo or Chandler. Quite a few other organizations have their eyes on the former in particular, according to multiple media members:

Per Wojnarowski, the Portland Trail Blazers are interested in making a deal with Denver too, but their desires center on Chandler:

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Portland has shown a stronger desire to make a deal with Denver for Wilson Chandler than Arron Afflalo, partly because Chandler is under contract next season. The Blazers have made Will Barton and Thomas Robinson, as well as a future first-rounder, available in talks for wing players, but clearly would be more motivated to sweeten a package for Chandler than Afflalo, league sources said.

Once Afflalo likely moves at the trade deadline, some teams unable to acquire him will likely take a longer look at Minnesota's Chase Budinger. Teams love his ability to spread the floor, but the fact he has a player option for $5 million in 2015-16 has been a hurdle for teams trying to keep financial flexibility, league sources said.

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Again, here we have other teams waiting on the Nuggets, who are reportedly "sifting offers."

Much like Lawson is the most attractive point guard available—Dragic might be better in a one-season vacuum, but contracts matter at the deadline—Afflalo and Chandler are the best wings commonly thought to be available before the Feb. 19 deadline.

And that means the Nuggets control yet another market.

The Spare Pieces: JaVale McGee, J.J. Hickson and Jameer Nelson

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None of these players is a game-changer.

J.J. Hickson is a useful rebounder who's quite adept at diving to the rim after setting a pick and finishing right around the hoop, but he's averaging just 8.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in 2014-15. Jameer Nelson is a veteran point guard who's capable of providing steady production, but he has to be traded alone since Denver only recently acquired him. JaVale McGee's athleticism, upside and rim-protecting work remain appealing, but his exorbitant contract prohibits anyone from getting too excited about him.

There's simply a "but" for each of the three, and some of them are more negative than others.

Nonetheless, this trio is certainly up for grabs if the Nuggets are truly trying to engage in a large-scale rebuild. They might as well get something for them rather than continue to flounder with them on the roster.

If Denver is holding all the cards, Lawson is the ace. Faried, even though he's struggled throughout the year, is certainly valuable, and this same thing is true of the shooters—Chandler and Afflalo. The spare pieces may not hold as much appeal, but in the right situations, they can certainly be useful players as well.

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But even if they'll presumably bring back less on the trade market, they're still part of the total package for the Nuggets, and higher returns than expected may end up making it easier for the front office to accept less than the perceived value for the bigger, more valuable names. Everything is connected, after all.

Ultimately, nearly everyone on the roster is a movable piece for this organization. Jusuf Nurkic and Gary Harris should be completely untouchable, but it wouldn't be all that surprising to see literally any other member of the Nuggets moved before 3 p.m.

And until the trades come flowing in, everything else will only continue to stagnate. The rest of the NBA is waiting on Denver to make the first big move.