Darrell Arthur received offers from three teams in free agency, but took less to stay with the Nuggets, according to Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. The eighth-year forward said he was contacted by the Wizards, Clippers and Spurs, but decided to accept a three-year, $23MM offer to remain in Denver. Nuggets coach Michael Malone said he appreciates Arthur’s loyalty. “Free agency came around, he told his agents, ‘Listen, get it done with Denver. I don’t even want to talk to anyone else,'” Malone said. “He left millions of dollars on the table because he believes in what we’re doing. That makes you feel really good because Darrell Arthur is about all the right things.”
There’s more tonight out of Denver:
- After a difficult year away from the game, Wilson Chandler is happy to be back in camp, Dempsey writes in a separate piece. Chandler is finally healthy enough to play after missing all of last season while recovering from hip surgery. The 6’8″ swingman is expected to improve Denver’s perimeter defense and help fill the rebounding void left when Joffrey Lauvergne was traded to Oklahoma City. “He’s a guy that when you look at it, checks more boxes than anybody else with everything he brings to the table,” Malone said. Chandler has three seasons and $36MM left on the extension he signed last summer.
- The Nuggets are working on versatility with first-round pick Jamal Murray, Dempsey writes in another story. The 6’4″ rookie was a natural shooting guard at Kentucky last season, but Malone wants him to be able to handle either backcourt position. “We’re going to have him play on the ball and off the ball, he’s got to learn all the spots on the floor,” the coach said. “That’s what a good point guard should do anyway. We’ve often talked about the allure of Jamal is that he is a versatile player. He’s going to be fine. He’s a smart kid. He cares. And we have plenty of coaches to help him, if he has any questions in terms of the offense.”