Nuggets awaiting, planning for blockbuster trade

"When you look to do big trades like this, you're looking for a combination of young assets, cap flexibility going forward and financial relief," said former NBA executive Tom Penn, who is now an ESPN analyst. "Those give you the ability to rebuild."

While there are many unknowns about who will be on Denver's roster after the team is reshaped, the one certainty is that point guard Ty Lawson will stay. Smith calls the 23-year old Lawson "the future" of the team.

"He makes the open 3, he's confident in getting to the basket and creating shots for other people," Smith said.

Lawson said he would "embrace the challenge" of being the starting point guard should Billups be traded.

Coach George Karl said: "Ty is doing a good job, but Ty's got to mature too. He has a laid-back mentality that drives me a little crazy at times. My big belief and approach to leadership is that you lead by example, you lead by attitude and you lead by approach. You don't lead by words. And his laid-back attitude probably stops him from being the leader I'd personally like him to be right now. But I think we can change that."

"A team with good management and great ownership — like the Nuggets — combined with cap flexibility would be most able to take advantage of new rules," Penn said. "If you have the ability to maneuver within whatever the new rules are, that can be a big advantage, as opposed to a team that can be hamstrung by a bunch of long-term contracts. You can't be as nimble under the new rules."