NBA: Nuggets eyeing Rivers, Daniels after Murray injury

The Denver Nuggets have had a pretty successful season to this point, all things considered, but unfortunately things got a lot worse on Monday night when Jamal Murray went down with a torn ACL in a 116-107 loss at Golden State. Nikola Jokic, the current MVP frontrunner, still leads a talented lineup alongside Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon but their depth is lacking. Despite being 35-20 and fourth in the Western Conference, it’ll likely be an early exit in the playoffs unless they can soften the blow of Murray’s absence with a late addition. Denver has one roster spot to fill and according to Mike Singer, they intend to sign a player before the postseason begins. Check out a few role players we think could help the Nuggets.

Best options available (Austin Rivers, Shabazz Napier, and Troy Daniels): The 8-year veteran should be Denver’s first target after Murray’s season-ending injury. Rivers was averaging 7.3 points and 2.0 assists per game on 36.4% shooting from beyond the arc with the Knicks before being traded and released. He could be another scoring option off the bench and possibly in crunch time. Rivers also has plenty of playoff experience, playing in five of the last six postseasons. Shabazz Napier and Troy Daniels are other options that Denver’s front office should consider. Napier because he’s a solid ball handler and Daniels because he’s a consistent 3-point shooter (career 39.5%) and is familiar with the system after playing with the team in the bubble.

Other potential pick ups (Emmanuel Mudiay, Quinn Cook): Both guys have been in the league for some time and could certainly fill a spot in the rotation but that’s about all it would be. The expectations and projected impact would be less compared to guys like Rivers or Napier but Mudiay and Cook could handle back up duties. Cook is averaging 3.3 points and 0.7 rebounds per game in 23 games with the Lakers and Cavaliers this season. Mudiay was drafted by Denver in 2015 before being traded to the Knicks three years later. He put up 7.3 points and 2.1 assists per game with Utah a season ago. A few other veteran names floating around are Gerald Green and Isaiah Thomas but Rivers or Daniels seem likeliest.

Photo Credit: Forbes.