The Nuggets Chose Two Healthy Rotation Options for Injured Veterans
Denver and San Antonio exchanged two players apiece on January 26, 1989. Denver received forward David Greenwood and guard Darwin Cook, while San Antonio obtained Calvin Natt and Jay Vincent. Contemporary UPI reporting records that Natt had missed all of 1986-87 with a ruptured heel tendon and had managed only 27 games the following year. His knee problems persisted, making a former Denver fan favorite difficult to use. The Nuggets wanted players who could supply functional minutes rather than keep waiting for a return to Natt’s earlier All-Star form. The Spurs wanted to test whether two experienced scorers could regain their usefulness on a rebuilding club. This was a straight four-player agreement without additional pick compensation.
Greenwood Added Forward Depth After the Midseason Move
Greenwood played 29 Denver games in 1988-89, started three and averaged 5.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.0 block in 16.9 minutes. Those numbers were not comparable to Natt’s earlier 23-point scoring years, but they represented an actual rotation contribution at a position where Denver wanted reliable defensive size. Cook offered a veteran guard who could help Doug Moe’s team move the ball and cover the second unit. His game log confirms that he joined Denver immediately after the deal, recording twelve points against Phoenix on January 28 and eight two nights later. Neither acquisition turned into a future star for Denver, yet both supplied options for a playoff-contending club without requiring it to count on Natt becoming fully healthy. The inherited A+ grade appears generous for role-player returns, so the evaluation should distinguish roster functionality from franchise-level talent.
Natt and Vincent Gave San Antonio Brief Veteran Scoring
Natt appeared in only ten Spurs games during 1988-89, averaging 8.5 points and 3.2 rebounds in 18.5 minutes. Vincent played 24 San Antonio games, started three and averaged 9.0 points, providing some short-term wing scoring. Their Spurs stints were not lengthy, and Natt’s physical troubles remained central to his reduced court availability. San Antonio’s inherited A+ grade matches Denver’s, even though the canonical winner is Nuggets Win. That textual preference may reflect Denver getting healthier rotation options but should not be mistaken for a higher numerical score. The strongest contemporary fact is that Denver converted two injury-affected forwards into players capable of contributing immediately, while San Antonio obtained shorter veteran scoring trials. Neither side received a draft prospect whose later career could settle the comparison.
Final Verdict
Nuggets Win under the inherited verdict, although both Denver and San Antonio receive A+ grades. Denver obtained David Greenwood, who supplied 29 games with 5.9 points and 5.7 rebounds, plus Darwin Cook. The Spurs acquired Calvin Natt for ten games and Jay Vincent for 24. Denver gained more available depth from the injury-risk exchange.