Rumor: Nene to Portland

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">With the NBA trade deadline looming Thursday, the Nuggets could get a shake-up within the next 48 hours.

Forwards Martin and Nene and guard Earl Watson have been mentioned most often in trade talk, but general manager Kiki Vandeweghe said Monday night that nothing was imminent.

"It will probably pick up in the next few days," he said.

A roster tweak proved pivotal for Denver last February when Vandeweghe acquired Najera in a deadline deal. Nearly 12 months later, the Nuggets are in need of a shooter rather than a banger.

Serenity and peace of mind also would help.

"There's no question the calm will come once the trade deadline is over," Karl said. "Kiki does a great job trying to make our team better and this is his hot time. Last year he pulled Eddie Najera out of a hat. Maybe we'll do that; maybe we won't."

An Eastern Conference executive said Monday that the Nuggets and the Portland Trail Blazers were mulling a deal that would send Nene to Portland in exchange for forward Travis Outlaw and center Joel Przybilla.

Such a move would make little sense for the Nuggets because it would not solve the perimeter problems, and Przybilla will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

If nothing else, the Nuggets will go forward with essentially the same roster that won 49 games in 2004-05. They also can take solace in the fact that they are better situated than a year ago when they rallied from 10th in the West to seventh.

As the top team in the Northwest, Denver currently holds the No. 3 playoff seed and is in position to seize home-court advantage in a postseason series for the first time since 1988.

"My evaluation is that we've had a good year. We're in a good place," Karl said. "Let's make it a great year. Life is good. Our job is to make it better." </div>

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