JULY 18: The signing is official, according to a team press release.
JULY 13: The Nuggets are signing combo forward Braxton Key on a two-way contract, his Excel Sports agents Anthony Coleman and Max Lipsett tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
Prior to this agreement, Key had been turning heads as an athletic finisher and defender for the Mavericks’ Summer League team.
Since going undrafted out of Virginia in 2020, the 6’8″ high flyer has bounced around a bit between the G League and the NBA proper. He also enjoyed a brief stint with a club in a Puerto Rican league earlier this year.
Key has served two separate stints on the Sixers’ NBAGL affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, in addition to suiting up for two contests with Philadelphia proper on a 10-day contract. He also inked 10-day and two-way deals with the Pistons during the 2021/22 season. He has cumulatively appeared in 14 total NBA games to date.
That said, he has been racking up accolades in the G League of late. With the Blue Coats in 2022/23, Key averaged 13.7 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.7 SPG and 1.2 BPG with a .523/.402/.638 shooting line en route to a a G League title with Delaware last season. Key was also named to the All-NBA G League Second Team and the NBA G League All-Defensive Team while with the Blue Coats in 2021/22.
Denver extended point guard Collin Gillespie, a two-way player last season, a qualifying offer earlier this summer, making him a restricted free agent. With Key forthcoming, the reigning champs will still have two other two-way vacancies available, with Gillesepie a prime candidate to occupy one of those slots.
Correction: Gillespie is a RFA and not currently inked by Denver.
Key is solid defense on anyone 2-5
Come on lol. You mean 3 and 4. Guarding 5s rofl silly stuff
Seen him play ?
He’s 6’8 and should not be playing Center position
I hear ya
Tho if you watch his tape he is a bruising PF
I liked this guy in summer league last couple of years. Defends at the 4, plays hard, relatively skilled, and gives them depth there behind Aaron Gordon and if Watson maybe doesnt come along behind him
DEN (Calvin Booth) likes big/ physical perimeter defenders, but he drafted a bunch of them (sophs and rooks) the last 2 years. They need a 2 way backup big who can spell Jokic and Gordon; essentially the role that Jeff Green played for them last season. Roster’s full, so maybe they’re thinking Nnaji can do the job. Or they’ll wait for mid-year.