Denver Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri shrewdly worked his franchise into a four-team blockbuster trade involving Dwight Howard -- which is expected to receive league approval on Friday morning -- and NBA analysts love what Denver has managed to do in the complicated swap. The short version of the trade analysis from ESPN's John Hollingeron the Nuggets' portion of the deal is that he actually said the following: "I love this deal for the Nuggets. Loveitloveitloveit."
Just as a reminder on the basics of the deal, the Nuggets receive Andre Iguodala, the Philadelphia 76ers nab Andrew Bynum and Jason Richardson, the Los Angeles Lakers take Dwight Howard and the Magic receive Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic, Moe Harkless along with protected first-round picks from the other three teams.
Now here is a portion of what Hollinger had to say about the Nuggets' portion of the deal:
I love this deal for the Nuggets. Loveitloveitloveit. Iguodala is a hellacious wing stopper, the perfect complement for Danilo Gallinari, and his transition play will only be more terrifying surrounded by all that speed in Denver. The Nuggets are selling high on two players (Afflalo and Harrington) who might have peaked last season (especially Harrington) and move themselves a bit closer to making their no-stars model a viable one for getting beyond the first round of the playoffs.
Denver also gets some long-term salary relief in the deal. Afflalo was owed $31 million over the next four seasons and Harrington has $21 million due in salary over the next three years (with the last two years only partially guaranteed). Meanwhile, Iguodala is owed $14.7 million in 2012-13, then has an early-termination option for 2013-14. As Mike Prada of SB Nation points out, the Nuggets have shed $11.5 million in salary obligations for 2014-15(Afflalo's full salary plus half of Harrington's), and another $8 million the year after that.
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