The Denver Nuggets still haven’t given up on the playoffs, but if their losing streak continues to push them further and further away from the playoffs, they’ll look quite seriously at the option of trading Andre Miller to either the Golden State Warriors or the Sacramento Kings.
Andre Miller was clearly unhappy as Brian Shaw left on the bench in the Nuggets’ most recent loss, and the veteran point guard has seen his minutes go down to 19 a night (from 26.2 last season), which will be his lowest minute per-game output in his entire 15-year NBA career if things stay like this. He’s averaging 5.9 points and 3.3 assists per game, shooting 45.8% from the field and most of all clearly unhappy about being a part of a losing experience, feeling he’s not given sufficient time on the floor to try and improve things.
The Golden State Warriors have won their last 7 games, including their most recent visit to Miami, but as they see this year as an opportunity to do more than just make the playoffs but challenge for a title, they’re looking to finally replace Jarrett Jack and give Stephen Curry a solid backup. Miller isn’t the shooter Jack was and obviously nothing like Curry, but he can provide a very solid option to rest Curry or make him an off-the-ball player, like the Warriors do sometimes giving Iguodala more time on the ball, or like last season with Jack.
Miller himself would love to find himself once again on a team with bigger aspirations. The Warriors have been looking into the Kyle Lowry option (as have the Pelicans), but with the Raptors finding themselves in something of a surprising winning form, his trade right now is off the table.
The Sacramento Kings don’t expect to make the playoffs this season, but are considering trying and adding some veteran leadership to the team in order to try and teach a thing or two the young guns on the roster, Isiah Thomas in particular. While Miller would fit in quite well with the Kings as someone coming off the bench, it’s hard to see him being too happy about leaving a losing team for another one.
In any case, the Nuggets still aren’t moving anyone before they feel that this losing streak is a season-killer and that they won’t make the playoffs this season. If Brian Shaw is clearly messed up so badly that the team is out of the picture for the first time in over a decade, we’ll see more willingness to talk about a Miller trade.