Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets is named to the All-NBA First Team for 2024, and Kentavious…
The Denver Nuggets need some reinforcements this offseason. Entering the league’s second tax apron, they have limited options in free agency. They could try their hand at a trade, and one possible target could be Kelly Olynyk.
Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey explained why the Toronto Raptors big man is a “dream” target for the Nuggets this offseason.
“Kelly Olynyk, of course, is another big man, but he’s stylistically a lot closer to Jokić while also being a more reliable three-point shooter,” Bailey wrote in a May 22 story. “His range, playmaking, and the fact that he’s at least in the right spots defensively would make the Nuggets’ second unit far more dynamic.”
“He signed an extension with the Raptors after being traded there this past season, so landing him would take a trade, but maybe Zeke Nnaji, salary filler, and some draft capital might be enough to entice the rebuilding Raptors.”
Olynyk’s new extension is worth $26 million over the next two seasons. Since coming to the NBA in 2013, he has played in multiple conference finals with the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. With the latter, Olynyk went on to play in the NBA Finals in 2020, proving he has plenty of playoff experience. Coincidentally, he has not been to the playoffs since his last year in Miami.
In his 11 years in the NBA, Olynyk has proven himself as a stretch big, shooting 36.9% from three for his career.
