How Nuggets Can Add Vasilije Micic For Nikola Jokic

The 30-year-old veteran may not be as close with Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic as is being said. However, the two hold a mutual respect for one another for how they represent their home country. With the two also routinely forces on Serbia’s national team, there’s also a certain familiarity that they have with each other. Lastly, Jokic made an appeal to Denver in 2022 in an attempt to get Micic on the Nuggets, per NBA insider Jake Fischer.

“I cannot say that I am such a close friend with Nikola [Jokic] because he lives in his own world,” says Micic, per BasketNews. He is so unique person, first of all. He is such a humble guy and I cannot understand how he manages that, how he handles that attention that he has because he is the best player in the world.

He makes such a small country like Serbia so recognizable and so famous and I am just trying from the shadow to support his achievements and make it even bigger.”

These factors will contribute mightily to the how hard Denver pursues Micic. Nonetheless, there’s a big obstacle that the Nuggets have to clear; they have limited options to acquire him.

What Would A Trade Look Like

Micic is due $7.7 million next season, so Denver may have to move Zeke Nnaji in order to match salaries in a trade. Nnaji is due $8.9 million in 2024-25.

This isn’t problematic for the Nuggets in the sense of being forced to give up a highly valuable player. Though Nnaji entered the NBA with expectations to be an impact player in Denver, he’s not even a regular rotation player. However, unless the Nuggets believe that the 23-year-old can breakout in Charlotte, he’s not a very attractive trade chip.

Flipping Russell Westbrook

The most feasible option is to trade Russell Westbrook, Jalen Pickett, and DaRon Holmes for Micic. In this scenario, they may be able to acquire a draft pick for Holmes. Though he’ll miss his entire rookie season with an injury, he looked like a solid role player prior to.

In any case, Westbrook is the headliner. Yet, it’s not just because he’s a high-profile player. Westbrook could be a spot-starter if LaMelo Ball suffers another injury or offer leadership off the bench. After averaging 11.1 points, 4.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game in 2023-24, the high octane lead guard ranked seventh in Sixth Man of the Year voting. He’s still a valuable commodity, even if he’s no longer in MVP form.

A former EuroLeague MVP, Micic’s experience and body of work speak for themselves as well. After all, he averaged 10.8 points and 6.2 assists per game after being traded to the Hornets last season. Nonetheless, it’s hard not to imagine that the largely American roster will follow the words of Westbrook a little more closely.

All of that being said, he can’t be traded until Dec. 15 since he joined the Nuggets as a free agent. In other words, Denver won’t be trading for Micic this offseason if that’s the route they have to take.