Denver Nuggets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: NAW, Reid, Brogdon, Agbaji, Nuggets

October 21st, 2023 at 2:17pm CST by Rory Maher

In his first foray in free agency, former first-round pick Nickeil Alexander-Walker decided to re-sign with the Timberwolves on a two-year, $9MM deal. Alexander-Walker had bounced around the league in his first four seasons, playing for New Orleans and Utah before being traded to Minnesota in February (he was technically on Portland for one day in ’21/22 as well).

The 25-year-old wing had a strong summer, helping Canada win a bronze medal at the World Cup, and he’s ready to show he’s more than just a defensive specialist, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (subscriber link).

“My mentality, now more than ever, has been right,” Alexander-Walker said. “… I’m doing the right things, and I know that these guys are behind me and I’m in a position that I have support and trust and opportunity.”

As Hine writes, Alexander-Walker has been a fill-in starter during preseason with Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels missing time due to injuries. That’s an indication that he’ll be a rotation regular once the 2023/24 season begins, and a “less is more” approach on offense could be the key to staying on the court.

“When he first came into the league … he wanted to always play with the dribble, go somewhere and try to do things, and he got himself in trouble doing that at times,” head coach Chris Finch said. “But now he uses his shooting. He’s a high-level shooter. Has a great high release so he can always get it off on people. Now, he’s using that to set up the rest of his game, which is really smart.”

Here’s more from the Northwest:

The Timberwolves need to find the best way to optimize big man Naz Reid after signing him to a three-year, $42MM extension before he hit free agency. As Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic details, Minnesota plans to use Reid primarily at power forward in ’23/24, which is a change — he has mostly played center to this point in his career. However, the early returns have been promising, per Krawczynski. “Right before Naz got hurt (he broke his left wrist at the end of the ’22/23 regular season), I thought he found his groove at the 4, really found out what that looked like,” Finch said. “Now, defensively, he’s got to get better and better there, and we’re going to have to help him with some schemes and stuff like that. I think this is all about trying to get your best players on the floor, and he’s clearly in our top eight players.”
Trail Blazers guard Malcolm Brogdon, who was dealt to Portland from Boston in the Jrue Holiday trade, says he has no issues coming off the bench again in ’23/24, tweets Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. “I think it’s honestly important for Scoot (Henderson) to get this experience, starting,” Brogdon said. “He’s going to be the franchise player going forward, so he has to be invested in and given that opportunity.” Brogdon won Sixth Man of the Year last season with the Celtics.
Jazz head coach Will Hardy wants Ochai Agbaji to focus on improving defensively in ’23/24, particularly on the ball, writes Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. “I would like to see him take another step forward in terms of his isolation defense,” Hardy said of the second-year wing. “Guarding the ball in a pick-and-roll and navigating those screens is a skill and it takes a certain type of athleticism.” The Jazz have until October 31 to exercise their third-year option on Agbaji’s rookie scale contract.
Bennett Durando of The Denver Post lists five reasons why the Nuggets will repeat as NBA champions this season — and five reasons why they won’t.

Nuggets Waive Bryce Wills

October 20th, 2023 at 8:32pm CST by Rory Maher

The Nuggets have waived guard Bryce Wills, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.

Wills, who was a member of Denver’s Summer League team in Las Vegas in July, went undrafted out of Stanford in 2021 and has played in the G League for the last two years, spending time with the Capital City Go-Go as well as the Nuggets’ affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold.

In 44 games last season for Grand Rapids, Wills averaged 5.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 22.3 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .463/.340/.485. He’s known for more his defense than his offensive ability, having been named to the Pac-12’s All-Defensive team in 2020.

Wills inked an Exhibit 10 contract and will be heading to the Gold once again in 2023/24. If he spends at least 60 days with Grand Rapids, he could earn a bonus worth up to $75K.

Denver’s roster is down to 18 players, the regular season limit.

Nuggets Notes: Malone, Key, Tyson, KCP, Jokic, Murray

October 20th, 2023 at 11:07am CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone was back on the sidelines for Thursday’s preseason finale after spending some time away from the team following the death of his father. However, even during his absence, Malone didn’t stop coaching his players, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, who writes that the veteran coach sent a text message to two-way player Braxton Key before Tuesday’s preseason game telling him to slow down on offense.

“I was just doing some things that were uncharacteristic. Trying to do a little too much at the offensive end. So I listened to him,” said Key, who responded with 14 points and 10 rebounds on Tuesday vs. the Clippers.

As Durando notes, Key wasn’t the only young Nuggets player to get a message from Malone ahead of Tuesday’s contest. Michael channeled his late father Brendan in a text he sent to rookie Hunter Tyson.

“I said don’t ever lose your confidence,” Malone recalled. “That’s something my father told me for years. Don’t let anybody take away your confidence. I said, ‘Hunter, you’re a good shooter. And I see you hesitating now, I see you tentative.’ I said, ‘If you’re open, shoot the ball. Make or miss, shoot the ball. That’s what you do.'”

Tyson, who made just 9-of-28 field goal attempts (32.1%) and 5-of-19 three-pointers (26.3%) in his first three preseason games, responded by scoring 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting (3-of-7 threes), Durando writes.

Here’s more on the defending champions:

Speaking to Mark Medina of Sportskeeda about a variety of topics, Nuggets wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope expressed confidence in the team’s depth even after the offseason departures of key role players like Bruce Brown and Jeff Green. “We already know what Christian Braun can do with stepping into that role that Bruce had,” Caldwell-Pope said. “We’re still going to be great. I still feel we haven’t lost a step.”
Nuggets star Nikola Jokic didn’t suit up for the Serbian national team in this year’s World Cup, but Bozidar Maljkovic, the president of the Olympic Committee of Serbia, expressed confidence in an interview with Juan Jimenez of AS.com that the two-time MVP will be playing in Paris in the 2024 Olympics, per BasketNews.com.
Jamal Murray‘s torn ACL cost him a full regular season and two postseasons, but Jokic believes the guard has gotten to the point now where he’s even better than he was before the injury (story via TalkBasket.net). “He’s much better. Not even close. … Mature, experienced,” Jokic said. “I think just because the injury slowed him down, so he needed to read a little bit better. Maybe it sounds stupid, but the injury helped him.”
As part of an interview with Katie Heindl of Uproxx, Murray said he appreciates how the Nuggets’ front office has handled its business since he joined the franchise. “These guys do a good job of communicating what’s happening or what they’re thinking,” Murray said. “I just like how they treat us like human beings that have families and lives and houses and mortgages and all that stuff, you know? It’s nice to get an update every once in a while about work.”

Nuggets Sign Bryce Wills, Waive Three Players

October 18th, 2023 at 1:45pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets confirmed a series of roster moves today in a press release, announcing that they’ve signed guard Bryce Wills and requested waivers on Amida Brimah, Au’Diese Toney, and Jamorko Pickett.

Wills, who was a member of Denver’s Summer League team in Las Vegas in July, went undrafted out of Stanford in 2021 and has played in the G League for the last two years, spending time with the Capital City Go-Go as well as the Nuggets’ affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold.

In 44 games last season for Grand Rapids, Wills averaged 5.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 22.3 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .463/.340/.485. He’s known for more his defense than his offensive ability, having been named to the Pac-12’s All-Defensive team in 2020.

Brimah, Toney, and Pickett signed Exhibit 10 contracts with Denver last Friday. It looks like the plan is for all three of those players – as well as Wills, who figures to be waived in the coming days – to report to the Gold for the 2023/24 season. Their Exhibit 10 deals will make them eligible for bonuses worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with the Nuggets’ NBAGL team.

Denver now has 19 players under contract.

Nuggets GM: Comments On Hyland, MPJ Weren’t Intended For “Public Consumption”

October 18th, 2023 at 7:59am CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on ESPN2 on Tuesday night, Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth was asked about comments he made recently to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer about Bones Hyland and Michael Porter Jr. While he didn’t dispute the accuracy of his quote, Booth indicated he didn’t expect it to show up in O’Connor’s story.

“Under no circumstances would I make or approve of those kind of comments for public consumption,” Booth said (Twitter link via Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports). “It’s not my character as a person or executive, and I think it’s an unfair characterization of Michael and Bones.

“I think Bones is a great kid, has a bright future ahead of him, a charismatic player in our game. And obviously Michael is a core piece of our program with his character and offensive and defensive prowess. So I think that was unfair for those things to be put out there and hopefully it doesn’t happen in the future.”

Addressing the Nuggets’ decision to trade Hyland at last season’s deadline, Booth had candidly explained his thinking to O’Connor.

“I knew you couldn’t have two guys that couldn’t guard, and we couldn’t have two guys that were young and kind of more ‘me guys,'” he said. “Mike makes $30 million. He’s one of the best shooters in the NBA. So, Bones, there’s no place for you.”

While those comments don’t come off as particularly flattering to either Hyland or Porter, O’Connor clarified on Twitter that he didn’t view them, in context, as a shot at either player.

“Being a ‘me guy’ wasn’t a knock,” O’Connor wrote. “You want at least one guy who can shoot without any fear from anywhere. It’s part of what makes MPJ special, there was just too much of the same. Plus MPJ improved (defensively), as written about in the context of the article.”

Based on Booth’s comments on Tuesday, it sounds like he believed he was speaking off the record when he discussed his thinking for trading Hyland. While his frank assessment was refreshing when compared to typical executive-speak, the fact that he’s already walking it back suggests that he’ll be more guarded when talking to reporters in the future.

Nuggets Notes: Booth, Braun, Hyland, Strawther, More

October 16th, 2023 at 9:50pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The 2023 NBA champion Nuggets took a hit when they lost Bruce Brown in free agency this offseason, but Denver has the infrastructure in place to continue developing rotation threats to help win rings, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth has a plan in place for a dynasty, according to Amick, and sees the widespread public doubt following Brown’s departure as “disproportionate.”

Amick writes that Booth is high on Christian Braun, whom he compares to early-career Jimmy Butler and sees as a headlining piece of Denver’s core. Booth knows supplementing stars with rotational talent is key to maintaining a winning culture, and Braun has already impressed the organization enough to earn that level of trust. Amick notes Booth said the team explored signing Torrey Craig, who wound up with Chicago, but ultimately felt good about the development of Braun and Peyton Watson.

The Nuggets also drafted several young pieces — Jalen Pickett, Julian Strawther and Hunter Tyson — as well as keeping 22-year-old Zeke Nnaji on board.

“We’re going to have to learn to block the outside noise,” Booth said. “Like, ‘Why didn’t you put a veteran team together and try to repeat?’ You have to be willing to take all that criticism, because I don’t think it’s the right thing — especially for this team and the developmental stage we’re at — to go quote-unquote all-in on a repeat. So we don’t get the repeat. Then what? What if we won one out of the next two? What if we won two out of the next four?”

Booth is of course high on superstar Nikola Jokic, but also believes Reggie Jackson can be a contender for Sixth Man of the Year and Jamal Murray will be motivated by the potential of earning a super-max extension next summer, Amick writes.

We have more Nuggets notes:

A similar piece from The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor emphasizes Booth’s confidence in his team and desire to build a dynasty. O’Connor notes the challenges the Nuggets, like other teams, face as a result of the tax measures in the new CBA, and explains their philosophy in bringing in young players. Of note, O’Connor mentions one of Booth’s first moves was to ship out promising youngster Bones Hyland at the trade deadline this year. “I knew you couldn’t have two guys that couldn’t guard, and we couldn’t have two guys that were young and kind of more ‘me guys,’” Booth said. “[Michael Porter Jr.] makes $30 million. He’s one of the best shooters in the NBA. So, Bones, there’s no place for you.“
Murray has taken Strawther under his wing, according to Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports. The rookie has been standing out in the preseason and is attempting to earn a regular season role. Murray sees potential in the Gonzaga product. “I’m just trying to keep him thinking and let him play free,” Murray said. “I just love his aggressive mindset. Miss, make, turnover, whatever it is. He’s staying constantly aggressive and looking for his shot and playing at his own pace.“
Strawther is making it difficult for the Nuggets to not call plays for him with his play of late, Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes. The No. 29 pick in the 2023 draft is averaging 19.7 points and shooting 50% on eight three-point attempts per game in the preseason. The Nuggets made him the first player off the bench in their Sunday preseason game and he shared the floor with members the championship starting lineup. “You’re crazy if you think I’m on the floor with Nikola and Jamal and they’re going to be worried about what I’m doing,” Strawther said. “My job is just ultimately to space the floor and make shots when I’m on the floor with those guys.“
Porter and Braun are progressing from ankle and calf injuries, respectively, Wind tweets. According to Wind, the hope is that they play Thursday in Los Angeles for the Nuggets’ final preseason game against the Clippers.

Northwest Notes: Jokic, Collins, Milton, Division Preview

October 14th, 2023 at 8:18am CST by Tristan Tucker

After winning the 2023 NBA Championship, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic made headlines throughout the summer by expressing his desire to go back home and then later partying in his hometown of Sombor, Serbia. ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk took a look back at “the summer of Jokic” and explored the center’s approach to the offseason.

Nuggets team president and governor Josh Kroenke didn’t text Jokic like normal this summer, Youngmisuk writes, instead allowing the two-time MVP to refresh.

“We all kind of left him alone,” Kroenke said. “For him to get away from basketball, be with his family and reconnect with who he is fundamentally is only going to be a benefit for the Nuggets and for basketball because he comes back fresh.”

Jokic claimed he only touched a basketball “a couple of times” this summer, but did stick to a routine he’s used through the past three years, which resulted in two MVPs and a championship, Youngmisuk details. Head coach Michael Malone noted the time of seemed to benefit Jokic mentally and when teammate Aaron Gordon came to visit during the summer, he was impressed by the depth of Jokic’s routine, according to Youngmisuk.

“He’s the best player in the world,” Gordon said. “He works out like a monster. … His regimen, his diet and how detail-oriented he is with his body, is second to none.”

Youngmisuk notes Jokic has been more vocal in practices and team settings, displaying a new type of confidence as he and the team aim for a second straight title.

“He’s only 28,” Gordon said. “So he’s going to get even smarter at manipulating the defense [and] offense. … I don’t see anybody stopping him. They still haven’t found the answer for him yet.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

The Jazz traded for forward John Collins this offseason after he had a productive six seasons with Atlanta, averaging 15.8 points and 8.0 rebounds. However, both Collins and Utah’s coaching staff understand getting the 6’9″ forward acclimated in a new system might take some time, Sarah Todd of the Deseret News writes. “I have to adapt to a bunch of things that I wasn’t used to doing in Atlanta, and that’s part of the game, and I’m embracing it because it’s a new chapter for me and it also allows my game to grow,” Collins said.
Eight players in the Timberwolves‘ likely rotation for their first regular season game on October 25 were on the team at the end of last season, Chris Hine of The Star Tribune writes. However, Wolves head coach Chris Finch said he’d like to ideally play a nine-player rotation, and Hine believes free-agent addition Shake Milton is likely to be that ninth player. Minnesota signed Milton to a two-year, $10MM deal after the guard averaged 9.3 points and 2.7 assists across his first five NBA seasons in Philadelphia.
The Northwest Division hosts the defending champion Nuggets, but also one of the few rebuilding teams in the league in the Trail Blazers. Tony Jones, Jason Quick and Josh Robbins of The Athletic preview the division which features rising stars like the Jazz‘s Walker Kessler and the Timberwolves‘ Anthony Edwards. The trio is bullish on the Thunder‘s Chet Holmgren, with Jones saying Oklahoma City getting him back from injury is the best offseason “addition” in the division. Meanwhile, Quick and Robbins believe Denver losing Bruce Brown and Jeff Green are the moves with the biggest potential to backfire. I recommend checking out the article in full, if you’re an Athletic subscriber, to get a solid picture for the division next season.

Nuggets Sign Brimah, Pickett, Toney; Waive Boum, Franklin, Funk

October 13th, 2023 at 4:50pm CST by Rory Maher

The Nuggets have waived Souley Boum, Armaan Franklin and Andrew Funk in order to create the roster space to sign Amida Brimah, Jamorko Pickett and Au’Diese Toney, per a team press release.

The terms of the contracts for Brimah, Pickett and Toney were not disclosed. However, Boum, Franklin and Funk were all on Exhibit 10 deals — considering the Nuggets have 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts (with all three two-way slots full), the new additions are likely on Exhibit 10 contracts as well.

If Brimah, Pickett and Toney are on Exhibit 10 deals and are waived before the season starts, they’d each be eligible for a bonus worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with the Grand Rapids Gold, Denver’s NBAGL affiliate.

Brimah, a 6’10” center from Ghana, played five games (5.8 MPG) with the Pacers back in 2020/21 while on a two-way deal. He went undrafted out of UConn in 2017 and has multiple seasons of G League experience. The 29-year-old played in France and Belgium the past two seasons.

Pickett, who played college ball at Georgetown, went undrafted in 2021. He signed a two-way deal with the Pistons as a rookie in ’21/22, playing 13 games (13.5 MPG) with Detroit. The 25-year-old forward spent last season with the G League’s Cleveland Charge after signing an Exhibit 10 deal with — and then being waived by — the Cavs.

A 6’6″ wing, Toney played three college seasons at Pitt before transferring to Arkansas in 2021/22. He played for the Lakeland Magic (now the Osceola Magic) in ’22/23, his first professional season. In 28 regular season games (15 starts, 20.9 MPG) with Lakeland, he averaged 8.5 PPG and 4.6 RPG on .558/.380/.786 shooting.

Denver’s preseason roster remains full, with 21 players under contract.

Strong Preseason Debut For Julian Strawther

October 12th, 2023 at 7:52am CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets rookie Julian Strawther, vying for a rotation spot, had an impressive preseason debut on Tuesday vs. Phoenix, piling up 20 points, five rebounds, and three assists with no turnovers in 21 minutes off the bench. Bennett Durando of The Denver Post has the details, observing that Strawther’s ability to space the floor may help earn him a regular role.

Nuggets Exercise 2024/25 Option On Peyton Watson

October 11th, 2023 at 11:15pm CST by Rory Maher

The Nuggets have exercised their third-year team option on Peyton Watson, a league source tells Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette (Twitter link). The move has no impact on Watson’s status for the upcoming season, but locks in his $2,413,560 salary for the 2024/25 season.

A 6’8″ wing who played one college season at UCLA, Watson was the final first-round pick (30th overall) in 2022. He appeared in 23 games (8.1 MPG) as a rookie for the Nuggets last season, averaging 3.3 PPG and 1.6 RPG. He also made five brief playoff appearances during Denver’s championship run in ’22/23.

Watson, 21, played more extensively at the G League level, suiting up for 19 games with Denver’s affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold.

The Nuggets are high on Watson, who is an outstanding athlete with a lot of defensive upside. He could be a rotation player in year two, and multiple outlets have cited the young forward as a possible under-the-radar contributor for Denver in ’23/24.

Denver will have to decide whether or not to pick up Watson’s fourth-year option — worth $4,356,476 — next October. The Nuggets picked up Christian Braun‘s third-year option on Tuesday, as expected.

The full list of decisions on 2024/25 rookie scale team options can be found right here.