The Denver Nuggets trade their French big man Joffrey Lauvergne to the Oklahoma City Thunder for two future second round picks in the 2017 NBA draft. As the NBA pre-season is slowly coming to an end and the regular season about to begin, more teams, including the Nuggets and the Thunder are getting in some last minute changes to their roster.
Lauvergne, who played only 59 games in the 2015-2016 season, averaged 6.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 0.3 blocks, and had a total of 5 double-doubles, per ESPN's Player Profiles. While these number may not be that astounding, they are pretty decent from a player who comes off the bench as a reserve.
According to CBS Sports, the trade for Lauvergne will help clarify the lineup for Denver, as they have too many players in the power forward and center position prior to the trade. The Nuggets will most likely put star power forward Kenneth Faried, Nikola Jokic, and Jusuf Nurkic in the front court, due to the success they found with the in the latter part of the last season.
Lauvergne was a choice reserve for Nuggets coach Michael Malone, due to the French big man's hustle and effort. While his defense could use a lot of work, his decent jump shot and on- court efficiency makes him a decent spark off the bench.
Lauvergne's role for the Oklahoma City Thunder will be a bit more important, as he could play the immediate back up for Steven Adams or Ennis Kanter, and with center Nick Collison not seeing plenty of minutes, and power forward Mitch McGary suspended for a marijuana violation, Lauvergne could very well be the next option for the Thunder's second unit.
The Denver Nuggets will have two future picks in the next NBA draft, one from the Thunder, and another from the Memphis Grizzlies. The Nuggets are looking to improve their team, and slowly reach the top of the Western Conference.
