The Denver Nuggets didn’t take long to start wheeling and dealing under new general manager Calvin Booth. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Nuggets have shipped veteran JaMychal Green to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a deal that also included a swap of picks.
As part of the trade, the Thunder will also get a protected first-round selection in 2027. On the other hand, Denver received no. 30 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and two future second-rounders.
Green has been playing in Denver for the past two seasons. He made 67 appearances in 2021-22, averaging 6.4 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.
The value of this deal for the Nuggets isn’t just an extra selection in this year’s draft, and future second-round picks. By moving Green, they also get a salary-cap relief and save $20 million in salary and luxury tax. They also created an $8.2 million trade exception that they can use to make additions to their roster in the future.
On the other hand, OKC was motivated to shed one of their many picks this year and push it further in the future. The Thunder was set to have three first-round selections in 2022 before making the Nuggets’ deal. They still held onto no. 2 and no. 12 picks.
JaMychal Green previously also played with the San Antonio Spurs, the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Los Angeles Clippers. His best season as a pro came in 2017-18 in Grizzlies’ jersey, when he averaged 10.3 points, 8.4 boards, and 1.4 points per game.
