When Nikola Jokic sat on the bench, Michael Malone held his breath. Now, he must be throwing up in his mouth.
In the span of 24 hours, the Nuggets got rid of Michael Porter Jr.’s contract in exchange for a similar player in Cam Johnson, reunited with Bruce Brown, landed Tim Hardaway Jr., and added Jonas Valanciunas while discarding Dario Saric.
They got deeper, cheaper and better. Malone got a pink slip. Life is unintentionally cruel sometimes.
The Nuggets front office, together for a few hours, moved to the front of the line during the opening of free agency, transforming an aging team with a ghost bench into a legitimate championship threat.