The Oklahoma City Thunder, by almost all measures, are still the championship favorites. They possess the one-seed in the Western Conference with a dominant 35-8 record. Despite some recent defeats, they still appear to be on track for a ridiculously strong regular season finish.
Yet the Denver Nuggets, who are still awaiting the return of Nikola Jokic, are hot on their tail. The Nuggets are currently 29-13, and they have held strong even with their franchise player taking an extended injury absence.
The trade deadline looms just weeks away, and this stretch could define the season for these two organization.
While the Thunder are expected to hold fast at the deadline, Denver is in search of an upgrade to their bench, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
If they are able to get the piece they're looking for, Oklahoma City could be in trouble.
The Denver Nuggets are in search of a veteran point guard to complement Jamal Murray
According to Scotto, the Nuggets are expected to be on the hunt for a veteran point guard that can help complete their revamped bench unit:
"Furthermore, the Nuggets are expected to monitor the trade and buyout market in case a notable veteran backup point guard upgrade becomes available, league sources told HoopsHype. "Michael Scotto
Last season, what ultimately held Denver back was their lack of true depth. With Russell Westbrook as their backup point guard, their bench unit simply did not possess the cohesiveness to surpass the Thunder.
This past offseason, however, they targeted this need aggressively. They added Jonas Valančiūnas in a trade, also adding Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown in free agency. These moves helped solidify their rotation significantly.
Yet they still remain 11th in the league in offensive rating when isolated to just their bench minutes. As a team, they are 10th in assist percentage.
Even with their limited financial flexibility, a move for a backup point guard, such as Tyus Jones or D'Angelo Russell, is still possible.
The Thunder's dominance over the last two seasons has been a result not only of their star players but of their impressive depth. Even this season, Ajay Mitchell, who averaged just 16.6 minutes per game in their last campaign, has emerged as a borderline All-Star.
Oklahoma City is fourth in the NBA in bench-isolated offensive rating.
When you're operating with margins this slim, even a minor move could be the one that puts a team over the edge. The Thunder better hope, therefore, that Denver is ultimately unable to pull off a deal that could make them even more formidable.