Denver Nuggets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nuggets Notes: Load Management, Duval, Cancar, Backcourt

September 16th, 2019 at 9:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Paul Millsap, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are all candidates for load management in order to keep them fresh for the playoffs, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic writes. While coach Michael Malone isn’t a fan of the tactic, an occasional night off for the trio could make some sense, Kosmider continues. Age is a factor for Millsap, while there isn’t a lot of depth behind Jokic and Murray at their respective positions.

We have more on the Nuggets:

Free agent point guard Trevon Duval worked out for the Nuggets last week, Ben Stinar of Amico Hoops tweets. Duval was a two-way player for the Rockets last season and became a free agent when the team didn’t give him a qualifying offer this summer. He was claimed by Houston in March after the Bucks waived him.
Rookie forward Vlatko Cancar isn’t the kind of player that brings people out of their seats, as he told Eric Spyropoulos of the team’s website. Cancar signed with Denver, which drafted him in the second round in 2017, after spending last season in Spain. “I’m not a spectacular, flashy player,” he said. “I’ll be the player that gets the job done and helps the team be in the best position it can be.”
The starting backcourt of Murray and Gary Harris is ranked among the top five in the league by Bleacher Report.

NBA Updates 2020/21 Salary Cap Projection

September 16th, 2019 at 11:30am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has informed its teams of a new salary cap projection for the 2020/21 season, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). As Charania details, the updated projection calls for a $116MM cap and a $141MM luxury tax line for the ’20/21 campaign.

Previously, the NBA projected a $117MM cap with a $142MM tax line for 2020/21, so the new figures come in slightly below those marks. However, they’d still represent a substantial jump up from the cap figures for 2019/20, which are $109.14MM (cap) and $132.627MM (tax).

According to Charania, the league’s projections for 2021/22 remain unchanged, with the NBA still estimating a $125MM cap and a $151MM tax line for that season.

The updated figures won’t have a massive impact on teams’ plans for next summer, but every dollar counts when it comes to creating cap flexibility. Players who have signed maximum-salary contract extensions that take effect during the 2020/21 season will also take note of the league’s new cap estimates, since it will have a small impact on their projected earnings.

Sixers All-Star Ben Simmons and Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, for instance, signed maximum-salary extensions that will start at 25% of the cap next season, assuming neither player earns an All-NBA spot in 2019/20.

Under the previous $117MM projection, Simmons’ and Murray’s deals were expected to be worth $169.65MM over five years. A $116MM cap would reduce the projected value of those five-year contracts to $168.2MM.

Several other figures, including the rookie scale, mid-level exceptions, minimum salaries, and cash available in trades, are also linked to the percentage the salary cap increases from year to year and would be affected by the adjusted 2020/21 projection.

PJ Dozier Hopes To Make Strong Impression In Training Camp

September 14th, 2019 at 3:56pm CST by JD Shaw

PJ Dozier hopes to make a strong impression with the Nuggets in training camp this fall, Alex Labidou of Nuggets.com writes. “I love the city [of Denver], it’s a beautiful city,” Dozier said. “[I want to] continue to show that I belong and that I belong for a reason. I feel like I have a lot to show for — a lot to bring to the table. It’s just all about getting the opportunity and being prepared for it.”

Potential Iguodala Suitors Content To Wait Out Grizzlies?

September 10th, 2019 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

News that the Grizzlies are currently uninterested in negotiating a buyout with Andre Iguodala is unlikely to push the veteran’s potential trade suitors into action, according to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com, who hears from league sources that those teams are more likely to “wait out” the Grizzlies.

As Deveney notes – and as has been previously reported – Memphis would like to get a first-round pick in exchange for Iguodala, but teams with interest in the former Warrior don’t believe it will ultimately take more than a second-rounder. Even that price may be too high for some interested teams, who are hoping Iguodala will eventually become available via buyout.

One league executive who spoke to Deveney suggested that an impasse at this point shouldn’t be a surprise.

“What the Grizzlies are doing, it is to be expected,” the exec said. “They’re looking at him as an asset and they want to get something in return for him. He’s under contract, so they hold all the cards. The worst he can do is not show up and it is not like Memphis is going to be playing for a playoff spot. Him not showing up wouldn’t help anything. But if you’re on the outside, those teams, they’re just waiting it out.”

The Clippers are viewed around the NBA as the most likely landing spot for Iguodala, per Deveney, but they don’t necessarily have a simple path to a trade, given all the draft picks they’ve traded away and their proximity to the tax line. The Rockets, Lakers, Nuggets, and Mavericks have been linked to Iguodala, but all face potential roadblocks on the trade market too.

According to Deveney, the Grizzlies’ ideal scenario would be to have Iguodala start the season on the roster to mentor the team’s young players, then trade him at some point before the deadline in exchange for a first-round pick — or at least a second-rounder or two. But it’s unclear how enthusiastic the 35-year-old would be about spending much of the 2019/20 season on a non-contending team.

“It is going to be a matter of whether the Grizzlies blink on this one or not,” the league executive told Deveney. “You have a guy who does not want to be there but has some value. He does not have a ton of value, though. He’s 35, 36 years old. So what do you do, hold him hostage? If you want him to be a guy to help your young players but he does not want to do that, does that really help your young players? Most teams figure they can wait (the Grizzlies) out on this.”

Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian took a Grizzlies-centric look at the Iguodala situation on Monday, writing that “one way or another” the former Finals MVP figures to be on a new team after the February trade deadline.

Grant Should Blend Well With Jokic

September 9th, 2019 at 8:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jerami Grant should be an ideal frontcourt complement to Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic opines. Grant, projected as the top big off the bench, is a nimble perimeter defender who can guard ball-handlers. Grant, acquired from the Thunder for a protected first-round pick, is also a solid help defender who can block shots.

Nuggets Sign Bol Bol To Two-Way Contract

September 6th, 2019 at 6:25pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 6: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

SEPTEMBER 4: The Nuggets have signed rookie center Bol Bol to his first professional contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that it’s a two-way deal.

Once viewed as a probable lottery pick, Bol saw his stock dip leading up to the 2019 draft due to long-term health concerns related to his slender 7’2″ frame. The former Oregon standout slipped all the way to No. 44, where the Nuggets landed him, acquiring his rights in a draft-night trade with the Heat.

No player drafted as high as 44th overall has signed a two-way contract to start his career since the NBA introduced two-way deals in 2017. However, the Nuggets and Bol were uniquely suited for such an arrangement for a handful of reasons.

For one, Bol is returning from a stress fracture in his foot that sidelined him for most of his first and only college season. The Nuggets will want to take things slow, as they did last year with Michael Porter Jr., making sure the 19-year-old is 100% healthy before throwing him into the NBA deep end. Bol is also still very raw, so it makes sense that the club would want him to begin his career in the G League rather than debuting in the NBA immediately.

Meanwhile, as cap expert Albert Nahmad recently outlined, Denver is less than $1MM away from the tax threshold, and could move even closer to tax territory if certain veterans earn unlikely contract incentives this season. Adding Bol on a standard rookie contract worth $898K would have jeopardized the Nuggets’ ability to stay out of the tax in 2019/20.

Bol could have forced the issue to some extent, since the Nuggets were required to offer him a one-year, non-guaranteed contract this week in order to retain his NBA rights. However, it appears he and his camp have bought into a plan that will start him out on a modest two-way salary before he’s eventually promoted to the NBA squad.

Developing Bol will be somewhat complicated by the fact that the Nuggets are one of two NBA teams without a G League affiliate of their own. Still, that didn’t stop Monte Morris and Torrey Craig from turning two-way deals into standard contracts (and regular roles in Denver’s NBA rotation). While they were on two-way contracts with the Nuggets, Morris played for the Rockets’ affiliate in the NBAGL and Craig spent time with the Heat’s affiliate.

With Bol locked up, the Nuggets’ roster looks just about regular-season-ready. The team has 14 players on guaranteed salaries, with Bol and Tyler Cook on two-way contracts. PJ Dozier has also been invited to Denver’s training camp, though it’s hard to envision a place on the roster for him unless he replaces Cook as a two-way player.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bol Bol Has Two-Year Two-Way Deal

September 6th, 2019 at 5:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Rookie center Bol Bol‘s two-way contract with the Nuggets runs for the maximum of two years, Jeff Siegel of Early Bird Rights tweets. He’ll receive $50K guarantees in each of those seasons. Denver’s lack of a G League affiliate complicate its plans for Bol’s development. However, the Nuggets have successfully utilized a number of teams for their two-way players in past seasons, according to Adam Johnson of 2Ways10Days.com.

Isaiah Taylor Working Out For Nuggets

September 4th, 2019 at 3:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agent point guard Isaiah Taylor is working out for the Nuggets in Denver this week, league sources tell Harrison Wind of BSN Denver (Twitter link). After spending the 2017/18 season with Atlanta, Taylor was pushing for a spot on Cleveland’s roster last fall when he suffered a stress fracture in his leg and was subsequently waived. Now healthy, Taylor has also worked out for the Suns and Celtics, according to Wind.

Remaining Offseason Questions: Northwest Division

September 1st, 2019 at 6:15pm CST by Luke Adams

NBA teams have now completed the brunt of their offseason work, with the draft and free agency practically distant memories. Still, with training camps a month away, many clubs around the league have at least one or two outstanding issues they’ve yet to address.

We’re in the midst of looking at all 30 NBA teams, separating them by division and checking in on a key outstanding question that each club still needs to answer before the 2019/20 regular season begins.

After focusing on the Atlantic, Southeast, and Central last week, we’re moving onto the Northwest today. Let’s dive in…

Denver Nuggets
Will Bol Bol sign a two-way contract?

A year ago, Bol was considered a potential 2019 lottery pick. This spring, he fell all the way to No. 44 in the draft due to health concerns. Now it’s not even clear if he’ll sign a standard NBA contract for his rookie season. No player drafted as high as 44th overall has signed a two-way deal as his first NBA contract, but that’s said to be the Nuggets‘ preference for the young center.

From the Nuggets’ perspective, slotting Bol into their two-way opening makes sense. As cap expert Albert Nahmad recently explained, keeping Bol on a two-way contract would allow the club to avoid moving precariously close to the tax line (certain players’ unlikely incentives could subsequently push Denver’s team salary beyond that threshold). It would also allow the organization to bring him along slowly, developing him and making sure he’s healthy in the G League before he’s eventually promoted to the NBA roster.

Of course, it makes sense that Bol would be reluctant to embrace such an arrangement, and he has some leverage if he wants to force the issue. In order to retain his rights, the Nuggets must offer a one-year rookie contract, and Bol could accept it, putting him on track for restricted free agency next summer.

Still, it might be in his best interest to accept Denver’s proposal and trust that the team will do right by him. Monte Morris and Torrey Craig started on two-way deals before they were promoted to the Nuggets’ 15-man roster and became key parts of the club’s rotation. Bol could be next to follow that path.

Minnesota Timberwolves
Does Gersson Rosas have any major moves in the works?

When Rosas took over as the Timberwolves‘ new head of basketball operations this spring, there was plenty of chatter about how his Rockets roots and his apprenticeship under Daryl Morey would make him inclined to swing for the fences more than most first-time general managers.

We haven’t seen much of that so far in Rosas’ first offseason in Minnesota, though it wasn’t for lack of trying — the Wolves reportedly made a serious push for D’Angelo Russell before the All-Star point guard opted to join the Warriors.

Not many blockbuster trades are completed during the preseason, but given Rosas’ reputation, he won’t be averse to exploring the market. Even though moving Andrew Wiggins‘ contract would be tough, the Wolves could theoretically make a big splash – like acquiring veteran point guard Chris Paul – without including Wiggins in the package.

Oklahoma City Thunder
Will the Thunder be able to find a taker for Chris Paul?

Speaking of Paul, the Thunder have been adamant that they’re willing to take a patient approach on the trade market and even start the season with the nine-time All-Star on their roster. Still, I imagine the rebuilding club would jump at the opportunity to send him to a contending team for the right offer.

Paul’s salary ($38.5MM) makes him the NBA’s second-highest-paid player for the 2019/20 season and will make it difficult for Oklahoma City to move him. Even if a suitor could comfortably match salaries, Paul’s two extra guaranteed years hurt his trade value, and the Thunder will be reluctant to attach any draft picks from their treasure trove to help grease the skids on a deal.

Various CBA restrictions for teams around the NBA will limit the market for Paul too. The Lakers would be a logical trade partner, but most of their roster can’t be traded until at least December 15. The Heat might typically have interest in an impact player like Paul, but they’re hard-capped and want their draft picks back from the Thunder.

The Thunder will revisit the CP3 trade market this fall, but finding a favorable deal won’t be easy.

Portland Trail Blazers
What is Jusuf Nurkic‘s recovery timetable?

A broken leg ended Nurkic’s 2018/19 season in March, and he’s not expected to be healthy to start the 2019/20 season. Beyond that, the Trail Blazers haven’t offered up many details on Nurkic’s recovery timetable.

In May, Blazers beat writer Jason Quick speculated that the veteran center might be ready to return to action just before the 2020 All-Star break, which would sideline him for more than half the season. Nurkic will certainly look to beat that timeline, but the Blazers should get a better idea this fall of whether or not that will be possible.

Portland traded for Hassan Whiteside and signed Pau Gasol this offseason, adding the pair of veterans to a center rotation that also figures to include up-and-coming youngster Zach Collins. Assuming decent health, that trio can comfortably hold the fort at the five until February, but Nurkic is still the most talented player of the bunch (for now, at least) and he’ll help solidify the club’s frontcourt when he returns.

Utah Jazz
How will the Jazz’s top players perform in the 2019 World Cup?

Several of Utah’s impact players are participating in the 2019 World Cup in China over the next couple weeks. However, unlike the Celtics – who have four players on Team USA – the Jazz have their players spread across several national teams. Donovan Mitchell is the only one on Team USA’s roster, with Rudy Gobert representing France and Joe Ingles playing for Australia.

While they may not have the same chemistry-building potential that the Celtics’ quartet does, Utah’s World Cup participants have a great opportunity to make an impression on an international stage and boost their stock heading into the 2019/20 season.

We’ve seen plenty of players over the last couple decades follow up strong World Cup or Olympic performances with breakout years for their NBA teams, and Mitchell in particular could be a prime candidate to follow that template. It’ll be worth keeping a close eye on him and the rest of Utah’s international representatives as they look to make deep runs in the FIBA tournament.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Hasheem Thabeet Working Out For Knicks

August 28th, 2019 at 8:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks are the latest team to get an up-close look at former NBA center Hasheem Thabeet, tweets Ben Stinar of Amico Hoops. The organization verified its interest in Thabeet by tweeting out a photo this evening.

Thabeet had “impressive” workouts with the Nuggets in July and the Bucks earlier this month, Stinar adds. The big man will finish up with the Knicks this week and plans to visit Milwaukee again in September before training camps open.

The 32-year-old is best known for an unimpressive career after being taken with the second pick in the 2009 draft. He played for four teams in five seasons, but never topped his rookie averages of 3.1 points or 3.6 rebounds per game.

Thabeet played in Japan for part of last season and worked out for several NBA teams during All-Star Weekend. He is reportedly in much better shape and has been working to expand what he can do on offense.