Given their presence in the Western Conference playoff race, the Nuggets are in a unique position as the clock ticks down leading to the Feb. 23 NBA trade deadline.

On one hand, the Nuggets are committed to a number of their young players in order to continue to their development. On the other hand, those are the players the Nuggets are receiving the most calls about in potential trades.

And yet, because the playoffs are within reach, the Nuggets could face added pressure to bolster their roster to make a playoff run. The balancing act, then, is not mortgaging the future while adding to the roster to try and make the playoffs. Or do they even need to make a trade?

For the first time in the last four seasons, the Nuggets are not in the singular mindset of shedding contracts or simply collecting tradeable assets. If they want, they can be a lot more proactive from a buyer’s position. Related Articles January 22, 2017 Injured Nuggets guard Emmanuel Mudiay stays in Denver for treatment

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Following is a trade deadline primer for the Nuggets:

Players in question

The Nuggets are one of a few teams in the NBA constantly pelted with trade offers for many of its players. As for players in a vulnerable situation to be traded, center Jusuf Nurkic tops the list. He’s not been happy with his role and the Nuggets have been amenable to trading him to a team where he can get more playing time.

Nurkic has been solid this season in limited minutes but moving a traditional back-to-the-basket center in the current NBA climate will be challenging. The Nuggets are most certainly looking for a first-round pick in whatever deal is made concerning Nurkic. Realistically, that would be a late first rounder.

Will Barton continues to be a player coveted by other teams. He has been for two straight seasons, and the Nuggets would have no problem getting a first rounder in return for him. The young guard, however, has expressed a desire to stay in Denver and the organization appears committed to keeping him

Veteran forward Danilo Gallinari is fond of Denver as well, foregoing unrestricted free agency to extend his contract for less money a few years ago to stay, but has had to accept a slightly reduced role this season. He’s also got a player option after this season and he could opt out.

Nuggets’ needs

Defense has risen to the top of the Nuggets’ list. But, unless the player is an elite, lock-down defender, the Nuggets need that individual to be a reliable contributor on both ends of the court. Star power is always a desire, but using significant resources to bring in a player in who can opt out of his contract at the end of the season is a risk the organization might not be willing to take.

Financial situations

The Nuggets have just one player who can be a free agent at season’s end – Gallinari, who has a player option. Gallinari is making $15 million this season and is scheduled to make more than $16 million next season if he picks up the option for the last year of his current deal. But he stands to make more than that over a number of years if he opts out and hits the free agent market. The Nuggets are nearly $10 million under the salary floor so taking on money in potential trades isn’t a deterrent when making a move.

Resources available

The Nuggets have a couple of first-round picks available in next year’s draft. First is their own. They also own Memphis’ first-round pick, which they acquired from Cleveland in the Timofey Mozgov trade a couple of seasons ago. That one is top-five protected and will most certainly transfer this season because the Grizzlies are not likely to be a lottery team. That, however, is also the sobering news. Memphis is good. Really good. The hope was that pick might be in the second half of the lottery. Now, it looks more like it will be a mid-to-late first-round pick given Memphis’ unexpectedly solid play. Still, it can be used in conjunction with a trade to sweeten any deal. The Nuggets also have two second-round picks in this year’s draft and another in 2018.

Rumors galore

On Feb. 2, the USA Today reported that forward Wilson Chandler wants to be traded, but hasn’t actually requested to be traded. The newspaper said Chandler is not happy with his role, which has flipped between reserve and starter as the team has needed due to injuries to various other players this season. Chandler’s hot start as a reserve had him on the early shortlist of candidates for Sixth Man of the Year. He continued to flourish as a starter, but has seen his production ebb and flow of late.

ESPN’s Zach Lowe reports that the Nuggets are “quietly” shopping Emmanuel Mudiay, the team’s first-round pick (seventh overall) in 2015. But, he says, there’s “no rush” to move Mudiay. The Nuggets have a glut of point guards on the roster and a desire to carve out more playing time to rookie Jamal Murray.

The Nuggets have been connected to Atlanta forward Paul Millsap for some time as a potential trade target. They tried to trade for Millsap last summer and were in the mix for him again when the Hawks floated his name earlier this month. The Hawks then pulled him off the trade market, but word is the Hawks are likely not done with the idea of dealing Millsap.