Kyle Korver Ideal Addition for Denver Nuggets

According Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post, the Nuggets plan to make a push for the services of Korver, an unrestricted free agent, this summer:

Korver, an unrestricted free agent in his 10th year in the NBA, is expected to be one of the Nuggets top targets in the offseason as the team actively courts players who can fill that shooting void. Denver won’t be the only team looking to gain his services, but if the money is right (Korver makes $5 million this season) the situation might be hard for the sharpshooter, who grew up in Pella, Iowa, to turn down.

Depending on how much Korver would cost, he would be an ideal get in free agency. His three-point 46.2 percent three-point clip team would prove invaluable on a team that houses the drive-and-kick stylings of Ty Lawson and ranks just 26th in three-point shooting (33.9 percent).

Snagging Korver, however, won’t be easy. It might not even be possible. Denver currently has more than $72 million on the books leading into next season. Even if we go on the assumption that Andre Iguodala declines his $15.9 million player option, Denver would then have roughly $2 million annually to spend on Korver.

At 31 going on 32, Korver may be prepared to take a pay cut to play for a contender. I highly doubt he’d be willing to sign for the league minimum, though, which is all the Nuggets can realistically afford.

Of course, we can’t say for sure, but we must put an emphasis on the “wish” part of Denver’s free agent “wish-list.” The Nuggets’ front office are a crafty bunch, but it’s difficult to believe that they could convince Korver to sign for what they can offer.

One option would be moving a steep contract to create room for another, but that actually only works if Iggy opts out in the first place. And from there, who would the Nuggets want to give up? The smart money would have once said Wilson Chandler, but after showing flashes of the player we all know he can become, his contract isn’t as unreasonable as most initially believed. While this could make him easier to move, his ability to man the shooting guard, and small and power forward spots, also makes it difficult for the Nuggets to part with him.

Still, you have to like where Denver’s proverbial head is at. Defense and three-point shooting are the team’s two biggest concerns and Korver stands to immediately eradicate the latter.

Is it financially plausible for him to play in Denver? Is it even likely the Nuggets can work something out?

At the moment, I’d say no. Should they be serious about signing him, it’s not going to be easy to actualize.

But then again, “ideal” additions never are.