Denver Nuggets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nuggets Notes: Malone, Jokic, Gordon, Adelman, Murray

November 21st, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nuggets coach Michael Malone and superstar Nikola Jokic were both ejected during the first half at Detroit on Monday. They watched in the locker room as the team pulled out a 107-103 victory over the downtrodden Pistons, Bennett Durando of the Denver Post writes.

“When you make a good play, we’re pumping our fists, we’re excited, we’re hugging,” Malone said. “And when you don’t make a good play, I’m cursing in Serbian.”

At times, Malone had to isolate himself during the tightly-contested game.

“I can’t just sit there,” he said. “I was in the back room, the training room, the locker room. And if (Detroit) went on a run, I’d go to a different room to see if I could switch the mojo up a little bit.”

We have more on the Nuggets:

David Adelman filled in for Malone, as he has in the past, and forward Aaron Gordon said Adelman is overdue for a head coaching job, he told Durando in the same story. “D.A. could be a head coach anywhere in the league,” Gordon said. “He deserves a head coach job. We’re lucky that he’s with us. We’re happy that he’s with us, for times like this.” Adelman interviewed for the Raptors’ head coaching opening this past offseason.
Gordon understands why Jokic has gotten frustrated with the officiating, Durando tweets. “He doesn’t need to apologize. They’re fouling him, and they’re not reffing him by the book,” Gordon said. “They’re putting two hands on him. They’re pushing him. It’s a foul.”
Jamal Murray hasn’t played since Nov. 4 due to a right hamstring strain and he’s unlikely to return during the current road trip, Katy Winge of AltitudeTV tweets. Malone said there’s “still some work to be done for him to be cleared.” Murray has been doing pregame workouts and some sprinting.
Malone has officially signed a multi-year extension. Get the details here.

Michael Malone Signs Extension With Nuggets

November 21st, 2023 at 4:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

NOVEMBER 21: The multiyear extension is official, the team announced in a press release.

“We are thrilled to announce this extension with Coach Malone and to keep him leading the Nuggets for years to come,” said Kroenke Sports & Entertainment vice chairman Josh Kroenke. “To see our team continue to improve year after year, culminating with our ultimate goal of an NBA championship is exactly what we all envisioned on the day we hired Michael in 2015. This extension is extremely well deserved and there’s no question about the commitment and dedication that Michael has shown to our organization.”

NOVEMBER 13: After winning the NBA title, Nuggets coach Michael Malone has been rewarded with an extension that will make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the league, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Malone’s extension will cover two more years in addition to the two remaining on his current deal, a source tells Mike Singer (Twitter link). That would put him under contract through the 2026/27 season.

Malone came to Denver in 2015, taking over a team that was near the bottom of the league. After missing the playoffs in his first three seasons, he has guided the Nuggets to the postseason in each of the past five years, culminating last spring with the first championship in franchise history.

With 375 wins in Denver, Malone is already third on the Nuggets’ career list behind Doug Moe and George Karl, and he’s likely to move into the top spot by next season. Wojnarowski points out that Denver has the NBA’s second-best winning percentage since 2018/19, behind only Milwaukee.

Malone is the fourth longest-tenured coach in the league, Woj adds. Only Gregg Popovich, Erick Spoelstra and Steve Kerr have spent more time with their current teams.

[RELATED: Longest-Tenured NBA Head Coaches]

Malone, 52, is the son of former NBA coach Brendan Malone, who passed away last month. He also served as head coach of the Kings for a little more than a season prior to his time with the Nuggets and spent time as an assistant with the Knicks, Cavaliers, Hornets and Warriors.

Northwest Notes: Alexander-Walker, KAT, Thunder, Watson

November 19th, 2023 at 3:39pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Multifaceted Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker finally seems to have created a unique niche with his third NBA team, writes Oren Weisfeld of Sportsnet.ca. Alexander-Walker’s versatile game has earned him plaudits from key Minnesota personnel.

“There was a lot of pressure on him when he came into the league, whether it be, you know, a lot of it was self-imposed,” Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch said of the guard’s early years in New Orleans, where Finch served as an associate head coach. “He was trying too hard, trying to do too much, trying to prove everything, wanted it all at once.”

In 19.7 MPG off the bench for the 9-3 Timberwolves, Alexander-Walker is averaging 5.4 PPG, 2.4 APG, 1.8 RPG, 0.8 SPG and 0.8 BPG.

There’s more out of the Northwest Division:

Though there has been much chatter swirling about the fit of star Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns alongside two other nominal centers, Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic submits that Towns’ superlative offense makes him worth retaining. On Saturday evening, he led Minnesota’s successful 121-120 comeback against the Pelicans, scoring 29 points while shooting 10-of-11 from the field, dishing out nine dimes, grabbing six boards and topping it all off with the game-winner. It’s games like that one that make Towns such an important piece on a club with major postseason goals, according to Krawcyznski, who opines that the Wolves are on too much of a roll with Towns to trade him, for now.
Although Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault is trying to temper expectations for Oklahoma City, the club is already looking much improved this year, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Rookie center Chet Holmgren just turned in his best night yet, scoring 36 points while shooting 14-of-22 from the field, pulling down ten rebounds and dishing out five dimes. All-NBA point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, not to be outdone, chipped in 40 of his own. A clutch buzzer-beating triple from Holmgren propelled the Thunder to overtime against the Warriors on Saturday night, where the young team pulled out an impressive win. “We have a young team that will grow over time,” Daigneault said. “We don’t want to cap the potential of any of our players.” At 9-4, Oklahoma City might be arriving already.
Second-year Nuggets small forward Peyton Watson has earned regular rotation minutes this season. The UCLA product credits some tough love during his rookie season tenure with Denver’s NBAGL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, for abetting his long-term development, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.

Northwest Notes: Gobert, Camara, Fontecchio, Kessler, Kamagate

November 18th, 2023 at 12:06pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, like Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels, was fined $25K for his role in an altercation early in a game between Minnesota and Golden State that ended with Draymond Green ejected and later suspended. However, according to The Star Tribune’s Chris Hine, Gobert wasn’t satisfied with the league’s ruling and said this week that he planned to appeal his fine.

“You know every situation is different, but to me that was more than just a reaction,” Gobert said. “That was a personal attack. Me being fined when I chose to, when I was being a peacemaker and I chose to keep my hands up while I was being assaulted, is shameful. Shameful. And I’m gonna appeal that fine.”

Immediately following Tuesday’s fracas, Gobert called Green out.

“Clown behavior, and I’m proud of myself for being the bigger man again and again,” Gobert said after the altercation. “And yeah, [Green] doesn’t even deserve me putting my hands on him. My team needed me tonight. I did whatever I could to keep my cool and then show that I wasn’t making the situation worse, and I do hope that the league is going to do what needs to be done, because that’s just clown behavior. Not much to say. It’s clown behavior.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

The 3-9 Trail Blazers have been searching for more physicality, size and rebounding in their starting lineup and may have found it in second-round rookie Toumani Camara, according to OregonLive’s Aaron Fentress. Camara has started the past three games for Portland, replacing Matisse Thybulle. While Portland lost all three games, Camara’s impressive rookie season is continuing. In his three starts, he’s averaging 6.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks. “Tou is going to be who he is going to be no matter if he’s starting or not,” head coach Chauncey Billups said. “He’s going to be the same guy. He’s going to scrap, he’s going to claw, he’s going to rebound. He’s going to protect the rim a little. He’s going to always be who he is.“
Simone Fontecchio feels more comfortable with the Jazz in his second season with the team, even if the minutes haven’t come yet, according to The Deseret News’ Sarah Todd. Fontecchio had been bouncing around international rosters, along with playing for the Italian national team, before joining the Jazz. The fact that Utah had other international players that Fontecchio could relate to was huge for his acclimation. “He has an ability to really stay ready,” coach Will Hardy said. “Whether he plays a ton of minutes or whether he plays zero. Obviously his threat of shooting is is great for us. But I’m more excited about all the the other things that he does — crashing the glass, changing things on the floor, he is a great cutter, and he really has a toughness about him that I think our team needs.“
Jazz center Walker Kessler is out for around two weeks with a UCL injury that usually requires Tommy John surgery. UCL injuries in basketball are a bit rare, but it’s a positive sign Kessler was diagnosed with a sprain and not a tear, according to The Salt Lake Tribune’s Eric Walden. Walden broke down the injury with a doctor, concluding that ligament isn’t used often in basketball, and the injury shouldn’t be worrisome.
The Nuggets selected Ismael Kamagate with the 46th overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft. He’s currently playing his first EuroLeague season with Milan and got to play with the Nuggets in Summer League this past season, averaging 6.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks across four starts. Though he admitted to Eurohoops.net that playing in the NBA is his dream, he’s willing to be patient. “We just have to not rush the process, because that’s how to can lose yourself. Take your time, do what you can do. In the team, everybody can do everything. You have to master what you do better, and that’s what I learned this summer,” Kamagate said.

Nuggets Notes: Jackson, Jokic, LaVine, Development, More

November 17th, 2023 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets guard Reggie Jackson, who joined the team in February of last season, has gotten accustomed to playing with two-time MVP Nikola Jokic by now, but it’s not an experience he’s taking for granted, he said earlier this week, per Ryan Blackburn of Mile High Sports (Twitter link).

“Just watching him control the game, watching how special he is, watching his mind just work over and over again,” Jackson said. “The way he works, just takes over the game physically but really mentally. It’s special.

“… Like I said, I refuse to take it for granted. Being his teammate, playing against him for many years… when you have something special, you have to enjoy it, because you never know how long you’re going to have it, and when it’s gone you will truly miss it. So, I’m just enjoying being his teammate, enjoying how easy he makes the game, enjoying playing as his teammate but also being able to watch him as we’re playing.”

Jackson re-signed with the Nuggets as a free agent over the summer, inking a new two-year, $10.25MM contract with the club.

Here are a few more items out of Denver:

In a mailbag for The Denver Post, Bennett Durando dismisses the idea of the Nuggets’ pursuing a trade for a third star, arguing that a splashy move like acquiring Zach LaVine would be “antithetical” to everything the franchise has done in recent years. Elsewhere in the mailbag, Durando answers questions about Michael Malone‘s potential Coach of the Year case and Denver’s defense so far this season.
The Nuggets are balancing title contention and player development out of necessity this season, according to Matt Brooks of Nuggets.com, who takes a closer look at how the team has to lean on young players like Christian Braun, Peyton Watson, and Julian Strawther for regular minutes, sticking with them through their ups and downs. “If Julian has a bad game, I just can’t say, ‘Okay, I’m not playing him for the rest of the season,'” Malone said. “If Peyton doesn’t have a good game, I can’t (bench him). Those guys need to play this year.”
Winning the in-season tournament is “a goal” for the defending NBA champions, according to Michael Porter Jr. (Twitter links via Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports). The Nuggets are 2-0 in group play so far, with their third tournament game on tap Friday night in New Orleans. “The incentive is always nice,” Porter said. “No matter how much money you have. $500,000 is nice, especially for young guys who are on their rookie contract. We all have a collective goal to win, not really for the money, it’s just competing.”

Injury Notes: Murray, Beal, AD, Pistons

November 16th, 2023 at 2:38pm CST by Rory Maher

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone says Jamal Murray will be traveling with the team during its upcoming road trip, which includes five games from November 17-24.

“I don’t know if on this road trip he’ll play or not, but I know from all the reports I’m getting he’s working really hard to get back and making positive strides every day,” Malone said, per Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette (Twitter link).

A report last week indicated that Murray, who sustained a right hamstring strain on November 4, would likely be sidelined three-to-four weeks. The fact that he’s progressing so quickly is an encouraging sign.

Still, while Murray may have a chance to play on the road trip, that doesn’t necessarily mean he will, observes Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (via Twitter).

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

Bradley Beal missed Wednesday’s game for the Suns after his lower back issue flared up yesterday morning, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link). Head coach Frank Vogel later confirmed that Beal woke up with back tightness that didn’t dissipate in time to play (Twitter link via Rankin). Vogel was evasive about a return timeline for the three-time All-Star guard, simply saying Phoenix has a plan to get him back in the lineup. Beal has only appeared in three games thus far for the 5-6 Suns, whose next two games are in Utah on Friday and Sunday.
Lakers big man Anthony Davis admits he was battling left hip soreness during Wednesday’s loss to Sacramento, which was the second of a back-to-back, but he refused to use the injury as an excuse for his performance, writes ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “I just played bad,” Davis said after tying a season low with nine points on 3-of-9 shooting. “I’m not going to put it on anything. … It was just missed shots. I just played like s— tonight. It’s that simple.” Davis, who missed a game-and-a-half last week with left adductor/hip spasms, said he’ll be ready to go for Friday’s matchup in Portland, McMenamin adds.
Pistons forward Isaiah Livers has yet to make his 2023/24 season debut after suffering a Grade III left ankle sprain prior to training camp. While there’s still no timeline for his return, the 25-year-old was a full practice participant on Thursday afternoon, head coach Monty Williams told reporters, including Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). Williams also said there were “no updates” on veteran guard Monte Morris, who is battling a right quad strain, tweets James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. “Hopefully we can get him to ramp up soon,” Williams said.

14 Players Affected By Poison Pill Provision In 2023/24

November 15th, 2023 at 6:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The term “poison pill” doesn’t actually show up in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, but it’s used colloquially to refer to a provision in the CBA that affects players who recently signed rookie scale contract extensions.

As we explain in our glossary entry, the so-called poison pill provision applies when a player who signed a rookie scale extension is traded before the extension takes effect.

In that scenario, the player’s incoming value for the receiving team for matching purposes is determined by averaging his current-year salary and the salaries in each year of his new extension. His current team, on the other hand, simply treats his current-year salary as the outgoing figure for matching purposes.

For instance, Spurs wing Devin Vassell is earning a $5,887,899 salary in 2023/24, but signed a five-year, $135MM extension that will begin in ’24/25.

Therefore, if San Antonio wanted to trade Vassell this season, his outgoing value for salary-matching purposes would be $5,887,899 (this year’s salary), while his incoming value for the team acquiring him would be $23,481,317 (this year’s salary, plus the $135MM extension, divided by six years).

Most of the players who signed rookie scale extensions aren’t realistic candidates to be traded anytime soon. But even in the event that a team does want to look into trading one of these recently extended players, the gap between the player’s incoming trade value and outgoing trade value could make it a real challenge to find a deal that works for both sides.

The “poison pill” provision applies to 14 players who signed rookie scale extensions in 2023. Here are those players, along with their outgoing salaries and incoming salaries for trade purposes:

Player	Team	Outgoing trade value	Incoming trade value
Anthony Edwards	MIN	$13,534,817	$36,573,920
LaMelo Ball	CHA	$10,900,635	$36,134,889
Tyrese Haliburton	IND	$5,808,435	$35,286,189
Desmond Bane	MEM	$3,845,083	$33,512,589
Devin Vassell	SAS	$5,887,899	$23,481,317
Jaden McDaniels	MIN	$3,901,399	$22,483,567
Onyeka Okongwu	ATL	$8,109,063	$14,021,813
Isaiah Stewart	DET	$5,266,713	$13,053,343
Deni Avdija	WSH	$6,263,188	$12,252,638
Josh Green	DAL	$4,765,339	$11,441,335
Cole Anthony	ORL	$5,539,771	$11,159,943
Aaron Nesmith	IND	$5,634,257	$9,658,564
Zeke Nnaji	DEN	$4,306,281	$7,261,256
Payton Pritchard	BOS	$4,037,278	$6,807,456

Once the 2024/25 league year begins next July, the poison pill provision will no longer apply to these players. At that time, the player’s ’24/25 salary would represent both his outgoing and incoming value.

Until then though, the gap between those outgoing and incoming figures will make it tricky for several of these players to be moved, though it affects some more significantly than others.

The small difference between Pritchard’s incoming and outgoing trade figures, for instance, likely wouldn’t be very problematic if the Celtics decide to trade him. But the much larger divide between Bane’s incoming and outgoing numbers means there’s virtually no chance he could be dealt to an over-the-cap team in 2023/24 — given that the Grizzlies have no desire to move Bane, that’ll be a moot point, but it’s still worth noting.

Holiday Marvels At Jokic's Excellence

November 12th, 2023 at 8:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Journeyman Justin Holiday hasn’t played much for the Nuggets this season but he’s gotten an up close look at the brilliance of Nikola Jokic, who is posting MVP-style numbers again. “No matter who comes in here, who does what, Jokic doesn’t get too high or too low,” Holiday told Harrison Wind of TheDnvr.com. “I know he enjoys playing basketball, but if you saw him — I know a lot of people talk about his expressions — he just goes out there, he’s going to kill you, and then go onto the next game. He doesn’t care about the personal accolades, which I think is pretty cool.” Denver added Holiday, who has played in three games, on a one-year deal this summer.

Nuggets Notes: Jackson, Porter, Caldwell-Pope, Strawther

November 9th, 2023 at 4:20pm CST by Luke Adams

When Reggie Jackson was waived by Charlotte in February and hit the buyout market, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo attempted to recruit the veteran guard to Milwaukee, sources tell Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports. However, Jackson opted for Denver instead, and both he and the Nuggets are happy about how that decision worked out, as Wind writes.

Jackson didn’t play a major role for the Nuggets during the championship run in the spring, but he has been an important piece of the rotation so far this fall, particularly since Jamal Murray went down with a hamstring injury. Jackson scored 20 points, handed out six assists, and was a plus-12 in a season-high 32 minutes during Wednesday’s three-point victory over the Warriors, earning praise from head coach Michael Malone, who said the 33-year-old has been “fantastic for us.”

The Nuggets raised some eyebrows when they devoted their taxpayer mid-level exception this offseason to a player who wasn’t part of their playoff rotation, but Jackson has benefited from spending the summer in Denver and becoming more familiar with the club’s system. Malone believes Jackson “feels so much more comfortable” this season than he did down the stretch of 2022/23 — and one of the guard’s teammates agrees.

“He spent all offseason in Denver when he could have been moving all around,” Michael Porter Jr. said. “He stayed here, learned our offense, and it’s showing. It’s paying off for him.”

Here’s more on the Nuggets:

A day after exploring how the Nuggets will weather Murray’s absence, Tony Jones of The Athletic says the team showed off its “depth, hunger, and versatility” in Wednesday’s win over Golden State. Denver has matched its best start in franchise history at 8-1 and Porter’s improved defense has been an important factor in the team’s success, Jones notes. “We want Michael to get to the point where that’s the norm for him,” Malone said. “We want to get to the point where what he’s doing is no longer a surprise.”
Having already expressed a desire to make an All-Defensive team, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope clarified after Wednesday’s game that he actually has a loftier target in his sights. “I got one goal, man, either Defensive Player of the Year or (All-Defensive) First Team,” Caldwell-Pope said, per Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette (Twitter link). “I’m going to continue to push that envelope.”
It’s rare for a team to draft a player at No. 29 who is ready to immediately play rotation minutes, but the Nuggets may have achieved that feat with Julian Strawther, Wind writes for DNVR Sports. While Strawther’s 21-point night vs. New Orleans on Monday in just 19 minutes of action has been an outlier so far (he has 20 points in 52 minutes in his other six appearances), the rookie has impressed coaches and teammates for his confidence and poise.

Jamal Murray Likely Out 3-4 Weeks With Hamstring Strain

November 8th, 2023 at 5:18pm CST by Rory Maher

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray will likely be out three-to-four weeks due to his right hamstring strain, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Murray sustained the injury in the second quarter of Saturday’s game vs. Chicago. In addition to missing the rest of that contest, he also sat out Monday’s game and will likely be sidelined for the remainder of November, according to Wojnarowski.

Wojnarowski’s report lines up with what head coach Michael Malone said on Monday.

“We’ll kind of continue to talk to our doctors, but his injury is not a one- or two-game injury,” Malone said. “That’s what I do know. This will be something that will be longer than we would like.

“… You have to have the big picture in mind and make sure we’re putting him in position to get healthy before he comes back. Because this is an injury that, if you keep having recurring hamstring injuries or soft tissue injuries, they can linger and become even worse. And that’s the one thing we do not want to happen.”

It’s a tough blow for Murray, who missed the entire 2021/22 season with a torn ACL. His return last season was well worth the wait, however, as he had a spectacular playoff run in helping Denver win its first title.

Through six healthy games, Murray was averaging 18.7 PPG, 2.7 RPG and 8.7 APG on .436/.438/.842 shooting (34.4 MPG). Denver’s starting point guard is under contract through ’24/25.

Murray is one of the players who would become eligible for a super-max veteran extension – worth 35% of the cap instead of 30% – if he earns All-NBA honors in ’23/24. But the league instituted a games-played requirement (min. 65) to make All-NBA teams going forward, and the 26-year-old will likely be out at least 12-to-14 games with the hamstring strain. Even assuming he has an All-NBA caliber season, it could be challenging for him to play at least 65 games.

Reggie Jackson has been starting in Murray’s place, with Collin Gillespie receiving minutes at backup point guard. Rookie first-rounder Julian Strawther has also been receiving more run and playing well. The defending champions are currently 7-1 ahead of Wednesday’s matchup with Golden State.