It’s the first « ShamsBomb » As of Thursday, the Nuggets and Wizards are finalizing a backline-themed trade. In the package? Will Barton, Monte Morris, Ish Smith and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, brewed as much from right to left as from left to right, according to different interests. We take out the magnifying glass and look at it.
It is 4:12 p.m. on this sunny Wednesday – and the day before Free Agency – when Shams Charania comes out of its nap to announce a small trade. Par « petit »we still hear ” medium “. It’s just that “medium trade” it’s super ugly. So even if it’s not about Michael Porter Jr. or Kristaps Porzingis, Nuggets and Wizards have sent real players. By “Nuggets and Wizards sent real players to each other”we hear “the Nuggets sent real players to the Wizards, and the Wizards sent Samir and Didier to the Nuggets”. In the Colissimo towards Washington: Monte Morris, 27, who won’t be a free agent until the summer of 2024, and Will Barton, a real experienced scorer, able to come off the bench with style and treachery. In the opposite direction, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope brings back the defense in a bag on the Denver backcourt. This kind of profile was sorely lacking in the Nuggets, however forced to drop a lot of offensive baggage. But it does not matter, Ish Smith also arrives in Colorado. For the little anecdote, if he plays a game under the Nuggets label, he will officially become the guy who has played with the most different NBA franchises (13). We don’t know if it’s welcome, but hats off to the adventurer.
On the Wizards side it’s also played quite well, you have your starting point guard who is an ideal profile on paper to play alongside a Bradley Beal.
Monte Morris is square. You will have Will Barton off the bench, not surprised if the cleaning continues (Kuzma) in the days to come.
— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) June 29, 2022
In the event of a return size boss Jamal Murray, the Nuggets have not messed up that much. The departure of Torrey Craig in November 2020 had hurt Denver’s outdoor sector very badly. The wing finally finds defensive guarantees, and we are no longer obliged to start the season with the speech of: “No, there’s no real big defender, but quiet, some will become”. Hallelujah, a boy will finally set the tone on this side of the floor. Especially since the Will Barton cartridge was running out of steam. Very important in the beginning of the Nuggets edition cycle « Nikola Jokic », the seasons passed without the rear ever managing to make the necessary waves in the Playoffs. Pretty good huh, but too linear. The Wizards, however, welcome him with open arms. He is the perfect player to lay the first bricks of a project. At the bottom of the box sent to Washington, we find Monte Morris, the chosen one. He will be – in the event of an extension of the next one – Bradley Beal’s partner for the 2022-23 season. We are not asking him to put on the costume of John Wall 2017, simply to do everything possible to ensure that there is complementarity.
On the eve of the opening of Free Agency 2022, a domino falls. The Nuggets’ workforce is losing pace but potentially gaining in efficiency – that’s what we want to say to ourselves – while the Wizards finally unearth a serious leader, manager, scorer, who could match with his majesty Bradley Beal .