The Nuggets have enough Cams to make a joke out of it already with Cam Johnson and Cam Whitmore. But if they want to solve a few real problems at once, they should be asking the Grizzlies about Cam Spencer.
That’s the pitch: add another Cam, add shooting, and maybe clean up the roster math while they’re at it. Spencer is exactly the kind of guard Denver could use off the bench, and if the Nuggets could swing the deal the right way, Scotty Pippen Jr. would come back in the package too. That would give them a shot at fixing the backup point guard spot and getting under the second apron, all in one move.
Spencer made his case directly against Denver in the Nuggets’ 123-118 win over Memphis. He knocked down 3 of 4 from deep and finished with 15 points on 5-for-7 shooting.
He’s now third in the league in three-point shooting at 54.8%, just three spots ahead of Jamal Murray. For the season, he’s averaging 9.7 points in 19.8 minutes and owns a career 44.9% mark from three.
The trade framework is simple enough:
Nuggets receive: Cam Spencer, Scotty Pippen Jr.
Grizzlies receive: Zeke Nnaji, three future second-round picks, or whatever else is needed to get the deal done
For Denver, the appeal starts with Spencer. The Nuggets need more reliable perimeter shooting from the bench, and he’s one of the best long-range shooters in the league this season. Pippen would be the other prize, and he’d slide right into the backup point guard role over Tyus Jones.
Pippen brings more than just a name. He’s averaging 10.0 points over 121 career games, and while he’s dealing with an injury that will keep him out for a couple more weeks, he’s the kind of swing worth taking.
He’s been effective as a drive-and-kick creator, averaging 6.8 drives and completing the kick-out pass 47.1% of the time this season in just 16 minutes a night. Last season, he averaged 7.4 assists per 36 minutes.
He also has active hands on defense and can bother opposing guards on the inbound pass.
The money side matters just as much. Denver would have to part with the three second-round picks it picked up this summer in the draft-night trade with the San Antonio Spurs, and the trade of Peyton Watson would sting. But the bigger prize would be getting rid of Nnaji’s contract.
Nnaji is on the books for $7.4 million this season and next, most likely, because of a player option he probably won’t decline. Spencer and Pippen, by contrast, are on team-friendly deals.
Spencer makes $2.4 million, and Pippen makes $2.46 million. In this scenario, the Nuggets would actually save $2.594 million this season and would have about $556,000 left to get under the second apron.
Their contracts also line up similarly for next year.
That would still leave Denver needing Tyus Jones to agree to a buyout or get moved by the deadline to fully clear the second apron. But even that path looks possible. It would also leave enough room to promote Bryce Hopkins from a two-way deal to a standard contract for the rest of the season.
The only real question is whether Memphis would bite. That’s the gamble.
Still, if Denver wants a shot at solving three problems at once - shooting, backup point guard play, and Nnaji’s contract - while opening the door to a fourth by getting under the second apron, it has to at least make the call. And it should do it now.
In Other News...
Nuggets Already Look Smarter For Betting On Cam Johnson
The Nuggets decision to lean into Cameron Johnson instead of Peyton Watson is already looking like the kind of move that can pay off in more ways than one. Johnson has settled in quickly on the offensive end for Denver, giving the team the spacing and shot-making it wanted, while the broader deal also brought back future draft picks and reshaped the roster with an eye on what comes next.
Watson, meanwhile, has had a rougher start in Cleveland, where the shooting efficiency just has not followed him yet. For Denver, the early returns are encouraging not only because Johnson is fitting the on-court need, but because the front office also created more financial breathing room for the seasons ahead, a detail that could matter just as much once the roster starts getting expensive again. [Read more 🡒]
Jamal Murray Is Rolling As Nuggets Keep Juggling The Back End
Jamal Murray has been doing his part to steady Denver while the Nuggets continue sorting out the back end of the roster. The guards recent play has drawn attention around the league, and with the team still managing depth decisions, the focus in Denver has stayed on keeping the rotation balanced and the supporting pieces ready when called upon.
That backdrop got a little busier when three Nuggets were sent to the G League, another reminder that the team is still juggling personnel even as Murray keeps rolling. For a club trying to stay sharp through the grind, the challenge is less about one hot stretch than finding enough consistency behind it, and that makes every move on the margins worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Jamal Murray Is Carrying The Nuggets Into An Uncomfortable Debate
Jamal Murray has opened the season looking like the kind of guard Denver has always hoped he could be, and the numbers back it up. Through the first 10 games, he has averaged 26.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.9 assists while shooting 50.9% from the field and 51.3% from three-point range, a surge that has drawn praise from Michael Malone for the way Murray has impacted both ends of the floor.
The uncomfortable part for the Nuggets is that this kind of start is usually supposed to lift a team into a better place than 6-4. Instead, Murrays level of play has only sharpened the reminder that Denver still needs more help around him if it wants to separate itself from the pack this season. He has done the heavy lifting so far, but the bigger question is whether enough of the roster can rise with him. [Read more 🡒]