A quiet trade deadline in Denver came and went without complaint from the Nuggets.

The deal of the day – Brooklyn sending James Harden to Philadelphia for a package headlined by Ben Simmons – went down just as the Nuggets finished practice Thursday ahead of Friday’s game in Boston. Denver coach Michael Malone said he told the team he wasn’t aware of any advanced trade talks prior to practice.

“I think we’re getting on that plane heading to Boston with the same team that we had yesterday, which is great,” Malone said roughly 90 minutes before Thursday’s 1 p.m. deadline.

Nuggets guard Austin Rivers grinned while asking the media if he had been traded as he walked off the practice court at Ball Arena. Denver’s front office, with limited draft picks at its disposal, opted against a move to add another perimeter defender or a back-up center, though a handful of other teams scrambled to get deals done in the wake of the blockbuster. The Nuggets maintained an open roster spot after the deadline and were reportedly interested in offering DeMarcus Cousins another 10-day contract to temporarily complete the roster.

“I think we just got to step up and do what we need to do, play better basketball, defend at a high level, be more consistent,” Will Barton III said. “I think we got everything we need in this locker room.”

Denver can still add a player in the buyout market before March 1 and have that player eligible for the playoffs, but the Nuggets biggest boost could come from a couple of players already on the roster. Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. are participating in parts of practice, Malone said neither has returned to contact or live drills with two months left in the regular season. Porter was getting additional shots up after practice concluded.

“It is under the realm of possibility that Michael Porter and Jamal Murray return this year. There’s also just as likely (a chance) that they don’t,” Malone said.

“They’re going to come back when they’re physically and mentally ready to come back.”

The Celtics traded for former UCCS and University of Colorado star Derrick White while Malone was speaking with the media. Boston had five open roster spots after making two deals at the deadline, but Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are still cause for concern.

“As we go to Boston, hopefully with the same team, we can focus on the task at hand,” Malone said of Friday’s opponent. “Boston’s playing much better.”

The 30-24 Nuggets are 7-3 in their last 10 games and sit sixth in the Western Conference after the deadline. While other teams around the league tried to boost their chances at a championship this season, the Nuggets didn’t feel the need.

“We can get to wherever we want to go, which is, obviously, you know, a championship,” Barton answered when asked about the team’s ceiling when healthy. “I think we can do it.”