Denver Nuggets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nuggets Expected To Hire Ryan Saunders As Assistant Coach

June 12th, 2022 at 4:26pm CST by JD Shaw

The Nuggets are expected to hire former Timberwolves head coach Ryan Saunders as an assistant on Michael Malone‘s staff, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Saunders spent time with Minnesota from 2014-21.

While Saunders was with the Wolves for eight years, he didn’t start as the team’s head coach. He joined the franchise as an assistant after serving in the same role with Washington from 2009-14. Minnesota then promoted him to head coach after Tom Thibodeau was fired in 2019. Saunders was dismissed as Timberwolves coach in February of 2021 after leading the team to a 7-24 record to start that season.

Saunders is the son of longtime head coach Flip Saunders, who held stints with Minnesota, Detroit and Washington across his career and passed away in 2015.

Saunders is expected to replace Jordi Fernandez on Malone’s staff — Fernandez recently accepted an associate head coach role with the Kings.

The Nuggets are coming off a season in which they finished 48-34. They expect to have Michael Porter Jr. (back surgery) and Jamal Murray (torn ACL) back next season and hope to contend for a title.

Northwest Notes: Gobert, Snyder, Nuggets, Jovic

June 11th, 2022 at 12:59pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

With the Jazz seemingly ready to shake up their roster following yet another underwhelming postseason appearance, All-Star center Rudy Gobert could be made available in a trade. Tony Jones and Chris Kirschner of The Athletic assess the potential fit of Gobert on the Hawks, and what a hypothetical deal could cost Atlanta.

Jones opines that rim-rolling Hawks center Clint Capela has been a great fit with Atlanta. While he may not be at the level of Gobert as an all-around player, he is on a considerably more team-friendly contract. Kirschner notes that Gobert, a four-time All-NBA honoree and three-time Defensive Player of the Year, would be an obvious improvement at the position, and could help a defensively-challenged Hawks club upgrade on that end overall.

The duo discusses their hypothetical framework for a trade package. Multiple deals are posited that include Capela, draft compensation, and either guard Bogdan Bogdanovic or promising young forward De’Andre Hunter. On the Hawks side, Danilo Gallinari and John Collins are also considered as potential alternate trade candidates.

There’s more out of the Northwest Division:

Jazz head coach Quin Snyder kicked off a potential summer of upheaval for Utah when he opted to leave the club he had coached for eight seasons earlier this week. Eric Walden and Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune take a deep dive into Snyder’s departure. Snyder – who oversaw a lot of the team’s development during his tenure, including the design of their practice facility – made a list of pros and cons before ultimately deciding to depart.
After struggling defensively this season, the Nuggets may target players to help shore up their perimeter defense in the draft. Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports identifies seven wing prospects for Denver in the 2022 draft. Mike Singer of the Denver Post also explores five point guard prospects the Nuggets may consider as options behind current reserve point guard Monte Morris, including Kentucky guard TyTy Washington Jr., Overtime Elite guard Jean Montero, and Gonzaga guard Andrew Nembhard.
6’10” wing prospect Nikola Jovic, currently with KK Mega Basket, could be available for the Nuggets when they make their selection in the 2022 draft with the No. 21 pick. After undergoing a Friday workout with Denver, the 19-year-old Serbian NBA prospect discussed the session with the Nuggets and the impact of Denver’s reigning two-time MVP, Serbian legend Nikola Jokic, per Kyle Fredrickson of the Denver Post. “I showed a little bit of everything,” Jovic said. “A little bit of my shot. A little bit of my passing skills. Guard skills. Low-post skills,” Jovic said. “I see myself as a guy who always knows what the coach wants me to do on the court.” Jovic also spoke about Jokic’s impact in their homeland: “For (Jokic) to be the two-time MVP, all the kids now, everybody wants to play basketball. Everyone is up late to watch him.”

Draft Notes: Daniels, Pacers, Agbaji, Beauchamp, Wesley

June 10th, 2022 at 10:15pm CST by Rory Maher

G League Ignite guard/forward Dyson Daniels, who worked out for the Pacers on Friday, believes he’d be good fit alongside Tyrese Haliburton, writes James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. Daniels is the sixth-best prospect on ESPN’s big board, and Indiana holds the No. 6 pick in the upcoming draft.

“For me, this offseason has been a big focus on my shooting, being able to knock down the shot so I can play off the ball,” Daniels said. “I’m confident in my shot now, so I feel like playing here with a guy like Tyrese, who’s a very good passer as well, I can play off the ball, cut to spots and knock down the shot. That’s something that’s come a long way in my game, and it’s definitely something I’ve worked on because every team usually has a primary ball-handler.”

Known as a well-rounded player who’s a solid rebounder, cutter and passer, Daniels is considered one of the best perimeter defenders in the draft and he said he hoped he showcased that during his workout.

“I think with my defense, you can see that on film and things like that, but coming here you play 1-on-1, you play 3-on-3, 2-on-2, so you can show that in the drills and stuff,” Daniels said, per Boyd. “Busting through screens, using your hands, getting deflections, things like that. … Showing that’s my main strength and showing that offensive stuff that I’ve worked on as well.”

Daniels has an upcoming workout with the Kings (No. 4), and previously worked out for the Pistons (No. 5) and Spurs (No. 9), as Boyd relays.

Here are a few more workout-related notes on some projected first-round picks:

Kansas wing Ochai Agbaji, the 16th overall prospect on ESPN’s board, has upcoming workouts with the Knicks (No. 11) and Hawks (No. 16). He previously worked out for the Thunder (No. 12), Cavaliers (No. 14) and Bulls (No. 18), according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link).
G League Ignite’s MarJon Beauchamp, another wing who ranks 23rd on ESPN’s board, has workouts scheduled with the Knicks, Pelicans (No. 8), Spurs (Nos. 9, 20 and 25), Hornets (Nos. 13 and 15) and Timberwolves (No. 19). He previously worked out for the Hawks, Bulls and Grizzlies (Nos. 22 and 29), tweets Robbins.
Notre Dame guard Blake Wesley worked out for the Hawks on Friday, Boyd reports (via Twitter). Wesley, who is No. 27 on ESPN’s board, had a previous workout with the Nuggets (No. 21).

Jazz To Interview Jason Terry For Head Coaching Job

June 10th, 2022 at 8:40am CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz have received permission to interview former NBA guard Jason Terry for their head coaching job, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Terry, a champion and Sixth Man of the Year winner as a player, last suited up for an NBA team in 2018 after appearing in over 1,500 total regular season and playoff games across 19 seasons. He joined the Texas Legends – Dallas’ G League affiliate – as an assistant general manager in 2019, then left the team to become an assistant coach at his alma mater of Arizona for the 2020/21 season. In ’21/22, he coached the Grand Rapids Gold, the Nuggets‘ NBAGL squad.

The Jazz are casting a wide net in their head coaching search — Terry is the 13th candidate the team is expected to interview. Given the amount of competition he’ll face, he’s probably a long shot to fill Utah’s vacancy, but getting a meeting is a step toward realizing his goal of becoming an NBA head coach.

Terry is also receiving consideration from several NBA teams as a potential assistant coach, according to Charania.

Draft Notes: Green Room, Houstan, Nembhard, O’Neal, Gillespie

June 9th, 2022 at 10:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

There were no surprises in the 11 green room invitations forwarded to the draft’s top prospects. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony confirmed that the list includes Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, Jaden Ivey, Keegan Murray, Shaedon Sharpe, Dyson Daniels, Bennedict Mathurin, AJ Griffin, Jalen Duren and Johnny Davis. Approximately four more green room invites will be sent out next week, a source tells Givony.

We have more draft news:

Michigan’s Caleb Houstan and Gonzaga’s Andrew Nembhard, who both hail from Canada, will work out for the Raptors on Friday, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. They’re both considered late first-round or second-round prospects and Toronto has the No. 33 overall pick.
LSU forward Shareef O’Neal, son of Shaquille O’Neal, worked out for the Bucks on Thursday, Jovan Buha of The Athletic tweets. The younger O’Neal will visit the Lakers, Cavaliers, Hawks and Wizards in the very near future.
Villanova guard Collin Gillespie also worked out for the Bucks on Thursday, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files tweets. He’ll soon visit the Suns, Nuggets, Jazz and Trail Blazers. Gillespie is ranked at No. 64 on ESPN’s Best Available list.

Jovic Among Prospects Working Out Friday

June 9th, 2022 at 8:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Forward Nikola Jovic, ranked No. 24 on ESPN’s Best Available list, is among six prospects visiting the Nuggets on Friday, Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports tweets. JD Davison (Alabama), Terrell Brown (San Diego), Christian Koloko (Arizona), Tommy Kuhse (St. Mary’s) and Fabian White Jr. (Houston) are also visiting. Denver holds the No. 21 overall pick.

Nuggets Rumors: Anunoby, Barton, Morris, Front Office

June 9th, 2022 at 12:50pm CST by Rory Maher

Count the Nuggets among the teams interested in trading for Raptors forward OG Anunoby, according to Matt Moore of Action Network.

I’m somewhat skeptical Denver has the necessary assets to acquire Anunoby because the Nuggets have given up two future first-round picks and four second-rounders without acquiring any extra picks of their own in win-now moves over the past few years. However, Anunoby certainly makes sense as a fit for the Nuggets, since he’s a strong, versatile defender with good size, and improves on offense every year.

League sources outside of Denver tell Moore that Nuggets guards Will Barton and Monte Morris are “believed to be available” in potential trades this summer. It’s worth noting that Barton’s $14,375,000 expiring salary in 2022/23 could theoretically work in the framework of a deal for Anunoby, who’ll make $17,357,143 in ’22/23, but the Raptors would likely ask for at least Bones Hyland and a first-round pick or two on top of Barton, assuming Toronto is even interested at all.

The Nuggets plan to aggressively build a “true contender” around back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic, aided by the returns of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., says Moore. Murray missed the entire season recovering from a torn ACL, while Porter played just nine games after undergoing another back surgery.

Although Tim Connelly‘s exit to Minnesota was unexpected, Moore reports that there’s no “sense of confusion or uncertainty” within Denver’s organization, noting that general manager Calvin Booth has had more control of the team’s day-to-day operations the past couple seasons. Moore also points out that assistant GM Tommy Balcetis has been with the Nuggets since 2013, so both front office members have plenty of experience.

In case you missed it, Luke Adams published our Nuggets Offseason Preview a couple days ago, in which he wrote that Barton and Morris could be used as trade chips this summer.

Nuggets Notes: Pre-Draft Workouts, Possible Offseason Targets

June 9th, 2022 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

In addition to featuring Colorado State forward David Roddy, the Nuggets‘ group workout on Tuesday included Wendell Moore (Duke), Jake LaRavia (Wake Forest), Josh Minott (Memphis), Jermaine Samuels (Villanova), and Lucas Williamson (Loyola), according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post (Twitter link).

LaRavia (No. 31), Moore (36), and Minott (47) all rank as top-50 prospects on ESPN’s big board, as does Roddy (46). Denver only holds the No. 21 pick in this year’s draft, but may like one or more of those prospects more than ESPN’s experts do. The Nuggets could also just be doing their homework in case they trade back in the draft, pick up a extra second-round selection, or have an opportunity to sign any of these players as undrafted free agents.

In a mailbag for The Denver Post, Singer discusses possible offseason targets for the Nuggets, identifying Dillon Brooks, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cam Reddish, Josh Hart, and Kenrich Williams as possibilities on the trade market and Bruce Brown, Caleb Martin, and Cody Martin as free agents worth considering. While Singer doesn’t necessarily have any inside info saying Denver will pursue those players, he notes that he ran his list past a couple NBA executives and “they didn’t outright laugh at me.”

Draft Notes: Hardy, Braun, Roddy, Pistons, Ivey

June 8th, 2022 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters after working out for Washington on Tuesday, G League Ignite guard Jaden Hardy said he has already worked out for the Warriors, Bucks, Timberwolves, and Thunder, and has auditions on tap with the Hawks, Hornets, Mavericks, and Pelicans (Twitter link via Josh Robbins of The Athletic). Viewed as a good bet to be a first-round pick, Hardy currently ranks 22nd overall on ESPN’s big board.

Here are a few more draft-related notes:

Kansas shooting guard Christian Braun, the No. 30 prospect on ESPN’s board, has worked out for the Bucks, Clippers, and Magic, and had a visit scheduled with the Grizzlies this week, tweets Andrew Lind. Those four teams each have at least one pick between No. 22 and No. 43 in this year’s draft.
Colorado State forward David Roddy, ESPN’s No. 46 prospect, had a meet and greet with Nuggets staffers a month ago and was brought back for a workout with the team on Tuesday, tweets Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports. Asked if he senses interest from the Nuggets, Roddy replied, “I would say so. Everybody’s a fan of my game here. They’ve told me that.” Roddy has also worked out for several other teams, including the Warriors and Raptors, per Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link).
David Aldridge of The Athletic spoke to a handful of coaches and executives at the college and NBA levels to get their thoughts on several of the top guards in the 2022 draft class, including Jaden Ivey, Shaedon Sharpe, Dyson Daniels, Johnny Davis, and several others. One Eastern Conference executive told Aldridge that he knows the Pistons – who hold the No. 5 overall pick – “love” Ivey.

Timberwolves Notes: Nuggets Rivalry, Lore, A-Rod, Lloyd, Jovic

June 7th, 2022 at 8:47pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The comments that Nuggets governor Josh Kroenke‘s made to the press last week about the Timberwolves‘ pursuit of longtime Denver executive Tim Connelly will fuel a rivalry between the two division rivals going forward, opines Michael Rand of The Star Tribune. Kroenke spoke about Minnesota coming through the “side door” to land Connelly and suggested that it was a “desperate” move.

“Ultimately when you go to a stratosphere that some clubs, you say some desperate clubs, are willing to go to, there’s a tier out there that just kind of doesn’t make sense,” Kroenke said of the Nuggets’ decision not to match Connelly’s offer from the Wolves, per Mike Singer of the Denver Post.

Rand notes that Denver has now decided to let its lead decision-maker walk twice in the last decade, first with Masai Ujiri, who left for the Raptors in 2013 and won a title with the team in 2019, and now with Connelly.

There’s more out of Minnesota:

Incoming Timberwolves owners Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore seem intent on using their money to improve the Minnesota front office, a ploy that Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune applauds. In addition to luring Connelly away from Denver, Minnesota has added Matt Lloyd and retained Sachin Gupta to the team’s decision-making brain trust.
The widely-respected Lloyd learned under a variety of scouting styles while with the Bulls and Magic, write Jon Krawczynski and Josh Robbins of The Athletic. He worked with Chicago from 1999-2012, and started with the Magic as an assistant GM in 2012 before becoming the team’s VP of basketball operations for the 2021/22 season.
18-year-old NBA prospect Nikola Jovic, currently playing for Mega Mozzart of the ABA League, recently worked out for the Timberwolves, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). Wolfson is skeptical that the 6’10” wing will still be on the board in time for Minnesota to draft him with the No. 19 pick in the 2022 draft. He is currently listed as the No. 24 top prospect on the latest ESPN big board.