Mike Malone reportedly will be the next head coach of the Denver Nuggets. With a coach now in place, the next question for the Nuggets is whether they will undergo a rebuild. Following a report that Denver is "aggressively" trying to trade players such as Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried, the answer looks like yes.
Denver hired Malone on Monday, according to the Denver Post and Yahoo Sports, after beating out Mike D'Antoni and Nuggets interim coach Melvin Hunt for the job. Malone compiled a 39-67 record with the Sacramento Kings, who fired him in December after just 1 1/2 seasons.
The question now turns to whether Denver will blow up its roster this summer and undergo a rebuild. Signs have been pointing to yes, with team president Josh Kroenke saying he was open to trading any player, and on Monday ESPN's Chad Ford took it a step further: The Nuggets aren't just open to trades, they're "aggressively" trying to find one ahead of the 2015 NBA draft.
"The Nuggets continue to aggressively pursue a trade to get another pick in the top 5. They are offering anyone on their roster but haven't had much luck," Ford wrote. "Ty Lawson seems especially hard for them to get rid of right now. 'He's talented,' a rival GM said, 'but there's a reason the Nuggets are letting him go. I don't think he has the leadership abilities to be an elite point guard in the league.'"
In February, the reported asking price for Lawson was two first-round draft picks. Lawson indicated in April he wanted out of Denver, with reports naming the Dallas Mavericks and the Sacramento Kings as his two biggest suitors.
Another team to watch for, though, could be the New York Knicks.
Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyler reported last week the Knicks were seriously considering trading down from the No. 4 spot - something Ford confirmed Monday - and named the Nuggets as a likely trade partner. The report has even stronger legs to stand on after Ford indicating Denver wanted to trade into the top 5.
