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Nuggets’ Michael Malone To Make Changes To Bench Rotation

November 25th, 2023 at 12:16pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Nuggets concluded a 1-4 road trip by losing to the Rockets by 19 points on Friday, prompting coach Michael Malone to promise that changes to the rotation were on the way, as relayed by The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando.

“I just told them,” Malone said. “Minutes, I’m gonna start playing different people. You just can’t go out there because you think you’re gonna play, and go out there and do nothing. You’ve gotta bring something to the party.”

Denver’s bench was outscored 16-0 in the first half on Friday with Christian Braun, Peyton Watson, Zeke Nnaji and Julian Strawther the headliners of the second unit. Braun had a good road trip, according to Durando, but Watson was a minus-24 and Strawther was a minus-36 during that stretch, while Nnaji was a minus-10 before Friday, a game in which he got pulled after one minute.

The Nuggets have put an emphasis on a two-timeline plan this offseason, as evidenced by using three draft picks this year and entrusting young players like Braun, Nnaji and Watson with heavy minutes. That plan is being put to the test with star guard Jamal Murray having been out since Nov. 4. Malone said he hopes Murray comes back “really, really soon,” according to Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette (Twitter link).

One such change is seemingly going to be a minutes increase for Justin Holiday, according to Durando. Holiday only averages 8.2 minutes and has seen time in just six games, but he drew praise from Malone after Friday’s contest.

“I thought Justin played pretty well,” Malone said. “So we’ll see. We’re going home. Very disappointing road trip. … That’s the challenge when you have so many young, unproven players off the bench. But we also have games to win, and that delicate balance is a tightrope. But we need to win, and I’m gonna play the guys that are gonna help us get a win.”

Even though Reggie Jackson hasn’t been able to replicate what Murray brought to the starting lineup, Malone continues to praise the guard, whose production helped offset the bench’s issues when Murray was healthy.

“We’re playing lineups out there with no point guard,” Malone said. “We probably had quite a few minutes of that tonight. … Reggie, I think, has done a really good job in place of Jamal. But just like if Nikola goes down, we don’t have another Nikola Jokic. We don’t have another Jamal Murray.”

Outside of turning to Holiday, Denver’s options off the bench are limited. Vlatko Cancar was expected to play a bigger role this year but is missing the season with an ACL injury he suffered in August. Denver also has rookies Jalen Pickett and Hunter Tyson under standard contracts but that might not solve the issue of giving too much responsibility to younger players.

Outside of that, the only other veteran who isn’t currently a part of the rotation is 35-year-old DeAndre Jordan. Two-way players Collin Gillespie, Jay Huff and Braxton Key could also be in line for minutes.

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.

Extension Details: Avdija, Nnaji, Nesmith

October 23rd, 2023 at 4:10pm CST by Rory Maher

Deni Avdija‘s new four-year, $55MM extension with the Wizards features a declining structure, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, who passes along details on a couple other recently-signed rookie scale extensions as well (All Twitter links).

Avdija will make $15,625,000 (11% of the projected salary cap) in 2024/25, which is when the deal kicks in, but that figure declines to $11,875,000 (7.2% of the projected cap) by ’27/28. As previously reported, the contract is fully guaranteed, with no team or player options.

Nuggets big man Zeke Nnaji‘s four-year, $32MM extension also descends over time, according to Marks. The deal starts at $8,888,889 in ’24/25 and Nnaji will carry identical $7,466,667 cap hits in the third and fourth years of the deal, with the fourth being a player option.

Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith, on the other hand, will receive a flat $11MM each season from 2024-26, for a total of $33MM over three years, Marks adds.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Nesmith said he was “very happy” with the agreement (Twitter video link via Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star).

“It’s a great feeling,” he said. “I’m happy to be here, I wanted to be here. I’m very happy for the opportunity to be here for the next four years. It’s awesome. I’m excited.“

Zeke Nnaji Gets Four-Year, $32MM Extension From Nuggets

October 22nd, 2023 at 5:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

OCTOBER 22: The signing is now official, per a Denver press release.

OCTOBER 21: Zeke Nnaji has agreed to a four-year, $32MM extension with the Nuggets, agent Adam Pensack tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

The new contract includes a player option for the final season, Wojnarowski adds. Nnaji will earn $4,306,281 this year before the extension begins in 2024/25.

A 22-year-old power forward, Nnaji was selected with the 22nd pick in the 2020 draft. He has become a valuable reserve for the defending champions, averaging 5.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in 53 games last season while shooting 56.1% from the field.

Nnaji was on the court for 13.7 minutes per game in 2022/23, and he’s expected to see more playing time during the upcoming season after the loss of Jeff Green and Thomas Bryant in free agency.

Monday is the last day that teams can sign eligible players to rookie scale extensions. Those who don’t reach new agreements will become restricted free agents next summer.

Nnaji is the eighth player to agree to a rookie scale extension this year, joining LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, Desmond Bane, Devin Vassell, Isaiah Stewart, and Payton Pritchard.

Nuggets Notes: Watson, Porter Jr., Murray, Braun, Jordan, Nnaji

October 9th, 2023 at 8:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nuggets forward Peyton Watson isn’t lacking for confidence. He feels he’ll have a breakout season, he told Harrison Wind of TheDnvr.com. Watson is looking to be a rotation player and earn an invite to the Rising Stars game on All-Star weekend.

“I feel like I’m one of the best second-year guys in the league,” he said.

Watson keeps close tabs on Nikola Jokic and wants to emulate the superstar center’s approach.

“I literally watch everything he does,” Watson said. “He never takes any shortcuts. He does everything the right way every day. He doesn’t cut any corners. I really watch all those things because I want to be on that level one day. I feel like I can be an All-NBA player one day. And I take it very seriously. So I watch everything he does. I admire his game and I admire what he does to have his game on that level.”

We have more on the Nuggets:

Michael Porter Jr. is unlikely to play in Denver’s preseason opener on Tuesday due to an ankle injury. Jamal Murray and Christian Braun were both limited at practice on Monday, coach Michael Malone told Wind and other media members (Twitter links). Murray has a mild hamstring issue while Braun has a calf injury.
Jokic’s backup could vary depending upon the opponent and situation, according to Bennett Durando of the Denver Post. DeAndre Jordan and Zeke Nnaji are the two candidates. “I think sometimes it will be dependent on who we’re playing,” Malone said. “There are a few teams in the Western Conference that play really big, and those could be great games for D.J. We love the defensive versatility that Zeke brings in terms of being able to switch one through five. So having the balance of using either one of those guys depending on who you’re playing I think is helpful for us.”
Jordan, who re-signed with the Nuggets on a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal, is unconcerned about his playing time, Durando adds. “I want to win basketball games. I want to win another championship,” he said. “I want to win with this group of guys. And we all have different pieces that make this machine work. Whoever’s out there, they give us the best chance to win. … I think this group last year was big on being selfless. And if it’s Zeke’s night, I’m going to be the first one that’s cheering for him because I want him to be successful.”

Northwest Notes: Thunder, KAT, Malone, Nuggets, Nnaji

April 6th, 2023 at 2:48pm CST by Rory Maher

As the NBA’s youngest team, the Thunder have didn’t have high external expectations entering 2022/23. However, their rebuild has taken significant steps forward thanks to a strong foundation of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams, and Seerah Sohi of The Ringer believes that Oklahoma City might have the most interesting team in the league.

Despite prioritizing player development over immediate success, the Thunder — who still possess several additional draft picks in the future — find themselves in the play-in mix with just two games remaining on their schedule. Sohi points out that Chet Holmgren, last year’s No. 2 overall pick, is scheduled to return next season and could fill a void in the middle. She also notes that the team’s situation seems similar to Memphis a few years ago — a rising upstart that might shoot up the standings in ’23/24.

Here’s more from the Northwest:

After attempting just three shots in the Timberwolves‘ worst loss of the season on Sunday against the tanking Trail Blazers, Karl-Anthony Towns spoke to head coach Chris Finch to ensure they would be on the same page going forward, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “We had a conversation,” Towns told reporters after scoring 22 points and grabbing 14 rebounds in an essential victory over the Nets. “We have a great relationship, so that conversation obviously paid dividends tonight. We had a good conversation about philosophies. We got it done today.”
Head coach Michael Malone ripped the Nuggets‘ effort against the Rockets after getting blown out on Tuesday night, calling the team “soft,” according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post. “We had a chance to clinch number one (seed) tonight and we talked about it this morning, the opportunity at hand,” Malone said. “And we definitely did not take that opportunity seriously because the way we played tonight was unacceptable playing like that, this late in the year. If that’s how we’re going to play, we’ll be out in the first round. Easy. Easy.” The Nuggets wound up clinching the top seed in the West for the first time in franchise history last night after Memphis lost to New Orleans.
Nuggets big man Zeke Nnaji missed his second straight game on Tuesday due to a knee injury, but it’s not considered serious, reports Chris Dempsey of Altitude Sports (Twitter link). The third-year forward/center is expected to return to the team’s second unit for the postseason.
Nnaji (right knee sprain) and the Nuggets‘ entire starting lineup — Jamal Murray (right thumb sprain), Nikola Jokic (right calf tightness), Michael Porter Jr. (left heel injury management), Aaron Gordon (right shoulder inflammation) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (non-COVID illness) — are listed as questionable for Thursday’s matchup with the Suns, per Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter links).

Nuggets Notes: Malone, Jackson, Bryant, Nnaji, Murray

March 21st, 2023 at 10:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nuggets remain atop the Western Conference despite losing five of their last seven games. Coach Mike Malone says it’s time for his team to start playing at a championship level as the postseason approaches, he told Mike Singer of the Denver Post.

“That’s not up to our standards,” he said of the team’s recent stretch. “This is gonna sound weird for most people, but more important than the wins and losses, is how we’re playing. Yeah, we want to win every night, but as I told our players yesterday, with 10 games to go now, it’s all about getting back to playing and developing championship habits. We got away from that.”

We have more on the Nuggets:

Reggie Jackson has shot 31.4 percent since he signed as a free agent. Thomas Bryant has averaged just 9.9 minutes since being acquired from the Lakers. Malone says he’s closer to deciding whether they’ll be part of the postseason rotation. “You have to give them an honest look. Can’t just be one or two games. You have to give them an extended look to see what you have,” Malone told Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. “But now with 10 games to go, we’ve gotta find a group and a rhythm and give them some opportunities to formulate that on-court chemistry moving forward. And I have a pretty good idea of who that is.”
Zeke Nnaji is also getting a look late in the season after returning from a shoulder injury that sidelined him for six weeks, according to Singer. In his first game back, the 22-year-old power forward played 12 minutes and contributed four points, five rebounds and a block against Brooklyn. Malone said Nnaji made the second unit more athletic and versatile defensively.
Jamal Murray has averaged 35.8 minutes per game this month despite dealing with right knee inflammation and occasional left knee soreness. Malone said Murray’s health is being monitored on a regular basis, Singer writes. “It’s a daily conversation with Jamal, the training staff,” Malone said. “See where he’s at, not just physically, but mentally as well.”

Nuggets’ Zeke Nnaji Out At Least Two More Weeks

March 4th, 2023 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets forward Zeke Nnaji will remain sidelined due to a right shoulder sprain until at least mid-March. The team announced today (via Twitter) that Nnaji will have the injury reevaluated in two weeks.

Nnaji wasn’t a regular part of Denver’s rotation early in the season, but had started to play a little more often in the weeks leading up to his injury, which has kept him on the shelf since February 5. For the season, the 22-year-old has appeared in 44 games, averaging 5.1 points and 2.3 rebounds on .572/.289/.667 shooting in 13.3 minutes per night.

It’s unclear what sort of role Nnaji will have if and when he’s ready to return. Vlatko Cancar and Jeff Green are among the Nuggets forwards who have played increased roles in his absence. Denver also acquired center Thomas Bryant a few days after Nnaji went down, so there may no longer be a path to some of the minutes he was getting as a small-ball five.

Nnaji is in the third year of his rookie contract and will become extension-eligible for the first time this offseason. If he doesn’t get a new deal later this year, he’d be on track for restricted free agency in the summer of 2024.

Northwest Notes: Gordon, Jackson, Dunn, Timberwolves

February 26th, 2023 at 4:01pm CST by Rory Maher

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone told reporters, including Mike Singer of The Denver Post (Twitter link), that there’s no firm timeline for Aaron Gordon to return from his rib injury.

Based on Malone’s wording, the team is taking Gordon’s injury one day at a time, but he was ruled out for the sixth consecutive game on Sunday, tweets Singer. Reserve big man Zeke Nnaji was also listed as out with a shoulder injury.

Gordon is having a career year for the Nuggets, averaging 17.3 PPG, 6.9 RPG and 2.9 APG on .587/.397/.623 shooting through 49 games (30.3 MPG). Denver has a five-game lead on Memphis for the No. 1 seed in the West, so the team will likely be cautious with Gordon in an effort to get him back to full strength for the playoffs.

Here’s more from the Northwest:

The Nuggets signed guard Reggie Jackson after he was bought out by the Hornets. Typically players acquired on the buyout market don’t have much of an impact on their new teams, but Jackson could be critical for a Nuggets team whose bench unit has struggled all season long, Singer writes for The Denver Post (subscriber link). “You just want to play well,” Jackson said. “They brought me here for a reason. Part of me is like, ‘I don’t want to mess it up. Let’s keep it rolling.’”
Kris Dunn is making an immediate impact for the Jazz after they signed him to a 10-day contract, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (subscriber link). After notching 11 points, one rebound, one assist and two steals in 16 minutes in his Jazz debut versus Oklahoma City, Dunn followed that up with 15 points, eight assists, seven boards, one steal and one block in 23 minutes versus San Antonio. Utah was victorious in both efforts, with Larsen saying the veteran guard was arguably the team’s second-best player against the Spurs on Saturday.
In the Timberwolves‘ latest injury report (Twitter link), three key rotation players are questionable for tonight’s game in Golden State. Center Rudy Gobert is sick, guard Jaylen Nowell has left knee tendinopathy, and forward Taurean Prince is dealing with a personal matter.

Scotto’s Latest: Hart, Knicks, Thybulle, Prince, Nuggets, Suns

February 8th, 2023 at 11:44am CST by Rory Maher

The Knicks are among the teams with interest in Trail Blazers wing Josh Hart, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Previous reports have linked the 27-year-old to the Cavaliers and possibly the Heat.

Hart is expected to decline his $12.96MM player option for 2023/24, which is non-guaranteed, in search of a long-term deal. His cap hit for ’22/23 is also $12.96MM.

As Scotto notes, Hart won a national championship in college at Villanova with Knicks guards Jalen Brunson and Ryan Arcidiacono. Through 51 games (33.4 MPG), he’s averaging 9.5 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 3.9 APG and 1.1 APG on .504/.304/.731 shooting.

The Knicks have a number of options for potentially matching Hart’s salary in a trade. However, since the Blazers are unlikely to be interested in Derrick Rose or Evan Fournier, combining some smaller contracts could be in play — Cam Reddish and Obi Toppin would work, for example.

Here’s more from Scotto:

Sixers wing Matisse Thybulle is drawing a significant amount of interest around the NBA. In addition to the Warriors, Kings and Hawks, the Pacers, Trail Blazers, Bucks, Mavericks, Hornets, Raptors and Suns have all had exploratory conversations with Philadelphia regarding the former first-round pick, Scotto reports. A two-time All-Defensive Second Team member, Thybulle is playing a career-low 12.1 minutes per game in ’22/23 and will hit restricted free agency if he’s tendered a $6.28MM qualifying offer, Scotto notes.
The Nuggets are interested in Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince, sources tell Scotto. Prince’s cap hit this season is $7.3MM and he has a non-guaranteed $7.65MM cap hit for ’23/24. In addition to Bones Hyland, the Nuggets are also open to moving Zeke Nnaji for a roster upgrade, sources tell HoopsHype. Prince has dealt with injuries in ’22/23, but has posted a rock-solid .479/.389/.833 shooting line in 33 games (21.1 MPG) off Minnesota’s bench. Ish Smith ($4.73MM) would likely be included if one of Hyland ($2.2MM) or Nnaji ($2.6MM) were moved for Prince due to salary-matching rules.
When Scotto asked Suns forward Cameron Johnson about his impending restricted free agency, he suggested he hopes to remain in Phoenix going forward. “I love being in Phoenix,” Johnson replied. “I love the team, the staff, and the city. The organization has treated me really well to this point. Whatever the future holds, the future holds. Phoenix has really become a home to me. These guys have become my brothers, which from my understanding, is not something you should take for granted in professional sports.”