Denver remains insulated during NBA’s silly season

On Saturday morning, the basketball world erupted as news of Damian Lillard’s trade request shook the Association.

Lillard had long waffled between staying in Portland and trying to win organically while contemplating a future with more talented teammates elsewhere.

After so many years of trying and failing to advance to an NBA Finals (the furthest they got came in 2019 after ousting the Nuggets to advance to the Conference Finals), enough was enough.

Lillard, who’s among the most devastating scorers of this generation, will likely land in a more advantageous situation than where he started. Miami, reportedly, is his preferred destination.

Perhaps Jimmy Butler needs Dame, like Dame needs Jimmy. Who knows what this year’s Finals could’ve looked like?

Bradley Beal, who’d been stuck in a Lillard-like situation in Washington his entire career, asked out, too. That got him to Phoenix, along with Kevin Durant, who’d grown tired of his situation in Brooklyn. The Beal deal sent Chris Paul careening the coasts before settling in Golden State. And before the Wizards were done with their tear-down, Kristaps Porzingis was a Boston Celtic. That’s to say nothing of James Harden, whose trade requests by the time his career is over will far surpass the number of titles he’ll ever win.

Dizzying, right? That’s the NBA: impatient, dramatic, intriguing, and transactional.

It’s also another reminder of how rare and unique what the Nuggets have going truly is. While trade requests have derailed innumerable seasons to this point, Denver has remained insulated from those sorts of distractions.

Nikola Jokic has said his goal is to remain in Denver for his career. Jamal Murray, who as of July 1 was extension eligible, appears more than happy running a two-man game with his Serbian counterpart for as long as the duo can dance. Michael Porter Jr. was drafted and developed here. Aaron Gordon, a seamless fit after arriving from Orlando, bought into his rim-running role from Day 1. And all Kentavious Caldwell-Pope cared about was winning when the Nuggets acquired him.

Denver’s organic rise all came under the watchful eye of Nuggets coach Michael Malone, who can strut all he’d like this offseason with a championship under his belt. Nuggets GM Calvin Booth can, too, after his shrewd additions put the finishing touches on a championship roster.

(How about Booth’s foresight to extend Caldwell-Pope as soon as they’d traded for him rather than wait until they’d won the title? That’s another example of Booth’s unique conviction.)

The drama that has consumed other franchises and left superstars wanting out has almost been non-existent in Denver. That’s a testament to their patience and adherence to targeting high-character guys. A hat-tip to ownership, for what they just accomplished and for letting it grow, is justified.

Notice anything interesting about the last three NBA champions?