It looks like the Denver Nuggets poked around for a chance to land a couple of veteran wings from the Atlanta Hawks just a few months ago in a potential trade that was discussed, though would wind up never coming to fruition.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Nuggets had trade talks with the Hawks centering around both De’Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic before both were inevitably moved to other destinations.
“The Nuggets held conversations last season with the Hawks, sources say, about swapping Porter for De’Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanović … both of whom have since been traded elsewhere,” Fischer wrote.
The aforementioned deal would’ve been based around a package focused on Michael Porter Jr., who the Nuggets would eventually trade to the Brooklyn Nets earlier this summer in their swap for Cam Johnson––and while this trade with the Hawks never came to fruition, it certainly is a bit interesting to imagine either former Hawks wing in Denver.
Nuggets Had Trade Talks for De’Andre Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanovic
The Nuggets also had reported interest from the Chicago Bulls in a hypothetical deal involving Porter dating back to last season, hinting that before Denver made their eventual move to ship out Porter to the Nets, they did some digging to find their best possible offer.
The Hawks, at the time, had a pair of wings that might’ve fit Denver’s aspired ask. De’Andre Hunter has some standout length and 3&D ability that the Nuggets likely coveted as a connecting piece in their rotation, and Bogdan Bogdanovic has noteworthy shot-making ability and offensive versatility on the wing that likely would’ve found a nice groove in the rotation as well.
That idea, though, would only end up as one that didn’t get much air off the ground. Hunter would find his way to the Cleveland Cavaliers before last year’s deadline as a similar connecting piece on the wing. Bogdanovic was also a mid-season mover at the deadline, heading to the Los Angeles Clippers, which left the Nuggets unable to do business for a Porter deal with Atlanta in the end.
The situation would work itself out in due time, as the Nuggets would swap Porter and a future first-rounder with the Nets to land Cam Johnson later that summer, and so far, the results of that experiment are still dependent on how the rest of the year shapes up for Denver, and more so once their entire starting lineup can get healthier.
However, yet another lingering rumor to surface about Porter does certify the fact that while trades might not be highly discussed in the moments they transpire, front offices are continuing to remain hard at work behind the scenes to make their rosters even better.
