After winning the 2023 championship and nearly reaching the Western Conference Finals last year, the Denver Nuggets have had a poor offseason so far. They lost their starter Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Orlando Magic, traded point guard Reggie Jackson for the price of three first-round picks, and their 2024 first-round pick recently tore his ACL.

Those moves weakened the Nuggets, who already lacked depth, but they have recently tried to sign veterans to address their biggest weakness. That included signing Russell Westbrook, according to NBA insider Marc Stein, and, perhaps now, signing Charlotte Hornets point guard Vasilije Micic.

Micic was one of the best point guards in Europe when he signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder before last season. Despite this, he was unable to earn a spot last season and was traded to the Charlotte Hornets, where he averaged a respectable 10.8 points and 6 assists as a starter.

Despite his solid performance in Charlotte, Micic’s future is uncertain as point guard LaMelo Ball returns after missing most of last season with injury. Micic is set to make $7.7 million next season, and while that’s an affordable price, it may be difficult for the Nuggets to sign him.

The only expendable contract they have is that of Zeke Nnaji, who makes a similar salary but hasn’t carved out a spot in the Nuggets’ rotation. If Denver had second-round picks, they could potentially bundle one or two with Nnaji to get rid of his bad contract and bring Micic back, but right now that’s not the case.

Charlotte could theoretically release him if he doesn’t pan out as a backup point guard, as he has a team option for the season after next and would be expensive for a third guard. He’s currently being considered a backup, but recently signed guard Devonte Graham could provide him with competition. Denver’s interest, meanwhile, could be due in part to Micic being teammates with superstar Nikola Jokic on the Serbian national team.

Still, he would be a useful addition to the Nuggets, who have a starting point guard with injury concerns. In the meantime, the Nuggets have Westbrook as a backup, and he is a better option, although if Micic prevails, he could go to Denver.