Gary Harris is primed for a bounce-back season with the Nuggets after injuries marred his 2018/19 campaign, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic writes. Harris was only able to play in 57 regular-season games last season. Harris shot 40.2% from long range in the last 21 games of the regular season and averaged 14.2 PPG in the postseason, Kosmider notes.
Coach Michael Malone has praised Harris for his consistency and the shooting guard has a capable backup in Malik Beasley, which gives Malone the luxury of resting Harris more often prior to the playoffs, Kosmider adds.
We have more on the Nuggets:
- They would prefer to have second-round pick Bol Bol sign a two-way contract in order to stay below the luxury tax line, as Albert Nahmad details. A two-way deal instead of a $898K minimum-salary contract with Bol would give them a little more elbow room as opposed to being less than $100K under the line. If Bol doesn’t want a two-way, the team would have to issue him that minimum deal by September 5 to make him a restricted free agent. Bol would have until October 15 to accept the offer. The team is currently $979K below the tax line, though that figures excludes some unlikely bonuses for Harris and Paul Millsap, Nahmad adds (Twitter links here).
- Undrafted forward Tyler Cook currently holds the other two-way spot and he has no illusions about making an impact in his rookie year, according to Kendra Andrews of The Athletic. Like most two-way players, Cook will try to hone his skills in the G League for a majority of the season. “I’m a rookie and I understand that,” Cook said. “I’m coming into an established group and so I want to be able to do whatever I can do, whatever they ask me to do to help them win.”
- According to a rookie survey, Bol was a steal in this year’s draft. Get more details here.
Nuggets second round pick is ready to play BOL !!
Nuggets UDFA COOK will “try to hone his skills in the G League for a majority of the season”. He’s bringing his own pots n pans !!
“The team (Nuggets) is currently $979K below the tax line, though that figures excludes some unlikely bonuses for Harris and Paul Millsap,” It’s also unlikely that Ronnie Millsap reaches his shooting based bonuses !!
The Bol Bol conversation should be about how much they want to pay him instead of all of the other figures involved.
They shouldn’t have drafted him expecting him to sign a 2 way deal and he shouldn’t sign anything with them unless it’s a good NBA contract.
I can’t imagine anything more insulting than being told you get Mcdonalds money because we don’t want to have to pay any
tax.
They didn’t draft him, the Heat did.
I think the Heat drafted him for Denver. He was moved immediately.
Anyway I agree Bol should “hold out”. Why not? He would remain valued and I doubt he’s motivated by poverty.
I think the risk with holding out is two-fold:
1. Nuggets might decide to flip him to another team for a 2nd and move on. If they do, Bol Bol *could* end up in a better situation. OR, he could end up in Chicago/Phoenix/NY, where player development is severely lacking. I’d argue Denver is one of the very best places he could be.
2. The Nuggets could offer him the minimum, he could sign it, and then they could park him on the bench for the season. Next summer he’ll be an RFA next summer with zero prospects.
Denver can scare other teams off by promising to match any offers, and then lowball him. Potentially, his NBA career dies as a result, and he’s off to Europe or Asia.
Bol Bol needs minutes on a team with a good player development program. Denver can provide that. The smart move IMHO is for Bol Bol to take the 2 way deal, dominate the G-league, and create a market for himself.
I’m surprised they don’t want to lock him up for at least 3 seasons considering he might not play next year, and likely won’t play much even if he gets healthy. Regardless, the 44th pick should insist on the minimum deal (even if its NG). There’s a long time between now and tax status date.
I bet at least half of the league would offer Bol Bol a $892 1 year non/partial guaranteed contract (w/team option). Or whatever 2nd round picks would normally sign.
Someone with his potential, I don’t understand why you don’t sign him to a standard contract.
Maybe Lakers go after him if Nuggets weirdly refuse to offer him a stand contract? (Not a laker fan).
“Someone with his potential, I don’t understand why you don’t sign him to a standard contract.”
Probably for the same reasons that almost all NBA teams passed on drafting the guy at least once (and many of them twice).
Bol Bol May be questionable with concearns about his injury and Amal frame but he’s a baller. In 9 games he played in college he averaged 21 points almost 10 rebounds and almost 3 blocks. He shot 52% on THREES! 56% from the floor and 76% from the line. The man can play it’s just can his body handle it. I’d give him a year off similar to Porter Jr, Simmons, Embid and others and let him get NBA ready behind the scenes (put on weight, watch film, practice, etc) so that way there is no pressure on him.
A good deal for both the team and him would be to secure a long deal and a decent salary, say 4 years at 1.3 mil flat. You give up 1.3 mil on someone not going to play but once ready and healthy you get 3 years of a really really good player on a cheap deal.
Unless he only plays healthy in 9 nba games in his career than it’s a terrible deal.
How’s it terrible. Bol gets paid, Nuggets get a really good young centre. The man can really ball he just needs time to recover from his injury, but on some weight and spend some time studying and learning the NBA. Nuggets should sit him his rookie year to do these things. Embid was selected 3rd in the draft played more games in college but averaged less points, less rebounds, less blocks and was worse shooting 3s and at the line. He also had a foot injury. Simmons also missed a year because of a foot injury. Blake Griffin was injured and sat his first year out. Bol could do the same and really benefit from it
1.3 per year right?
Bad look for nuggs
What possible incentive does bol have to do that?!?! Hmmm… 900k vs 80k… or else free agency? Someone will guarantee his contract, and maybe even at more than the minimum.
I’m sure the Nuggets’ pitch is something like this:
“We want you to start on a two-way contract, but we fully plan to invest in developing you like we did with former two-way players like Monte Morris and Torrey Craig, who are now crucial parts of our roster. You’ll be get a standard contract next season – or even later this season – once the tax isn’t such a pressing concern.”
Whether or not he buys into that pitch is the question.