Denver Nuggets (10-4) 2023-24 Season Thread: 11/22 @ Magic

[executive76]

Denver Nuggets probing league landscape for deals



LAS VEGAS — As the Nuggets' summer league team prepared for its first tournament game Thursday, the scuttle in NBA circles is that the organization is in a dealing mood — and this is not connected to embattled point guard Ty Lawson.

The Nuggets have agreed to contracts with point guard Jameer Nelson, center Nikola Jokic and shooting guard Will Barton, but none has been officially announced yet. And that, according to league sources, is due in part to the Nuggets going quietly about the business of probing for potential deals that can put them in better financial footing while also giving them more roster flexibility.

With the official signing of Wilson Chandler to a four-year, $46.5 million deal, the Nuggets have 10 guaranteed contracts. And point guard Erick Green's 2015-16 salary is set to become guaranteed Aug. 1.

That makes 11 guarantees, with Nelson's three-year, $13.5 million, Barton's three-year, $11 million and Jokic's four-year, $5.5 million contracts all at the ready. Those three deals would push the Nuggets over the new $70 million cap but well under the $84.7 million luxury tax, and would push the roster to 14 guaranteed pacts.

And the Nuggets have expressed a desire to retain free-agent forward Darrell Arthur, who made $3.4 million last season.

An Arthur signing would put the Nuggets at the maximum 15. This would give the Nuggets no option to retain a player doing well in summer league, such as guard Ian Clark. A trade would be Denver's only recourse to change that.

The Nuggets have two players on bargain contracts going into the last year of those deals — shooting guard Randy Foye ($3.1 million) and power forward/center J.J. Hickson ($5.6 million). Ideally, the Nuggets would find a trade partner for Lawson, but his trade value in the wake of another DUI arrest is decimated.

http://www.denverpost.com/nuggets/ci_28491191/denver-nuggets-probing-league-landscape-deals

 

[executive76]

Danilo Gallinari targeted for extension by Nuggets

LAS VEGAS — Wilson Chandler's contract extension could be just the beginning for the Nuggets. If they have their way, they'd like to open talks on an extension for Danilo Gallinari as well, according to a league source.

Gallinari is heading into the final year of his contract, which is scheduled to pay him $11.5 million. He'll be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Gallinari always has been viewed as an important piece of the Nuggets re-tooling — now rebuilding — effort, ever since he was traded to Denver from New York in 2011 in the Carmelo Anthony deal. When he's been on the court he's shown why. He averaged a career-high 16.2 points in 2012-13 before an anterior cruciate ligament injury, and two subsequent surgeries, set him back 19 months.

Gallinari found his stride late last season, his first since injuring his knee. He averaged 12.4 points on 40.1 percent shooting from the field and a healthy 35.5 percent from the 3-point line. His per-36 minutes stats last season are the eye-openers — an average of 18.5 points per 36 minutes to go along with 5.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 steals.

Gallinari's play improved as the 2014-15 season wore on — going from 12.9 points per game in February to 17.8 in March and 22.3 in April. His full post-all star stats were 18.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, shooting 44.3 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from the 3-point line.

"I thought at the end, the second half of the season, is the way I wanted to finish, the way I wanted to play," said Gallinari after the season. "I was happy with myself."

Gallinari's presence allows the Nuggets their greatest versatility. Down the stretch the Nuggets stretched the floor and exploited a lot of mismatches with him playing power forward. The Nuggets are a team in need to raise their shooting profile, and Gallinari helps them reach that goal.

Given the Nuggets' current financial situation, over the cap, an extension would have to be structured to kick in at the start of the 2016-17 season, similar to what Kenneth Faried did a year ago. And that would be advantageous to Gallinari, who could negotiate a deal based on estimates of how the salary cap will rise, and it's expected to make a huge jump. That is what New Orleans star Anthony Davis did with his extension, which begins with the 2016-17 season.

Gallinari is one of only two small forwards on the roster, so the Nuggets are thin at that area. And despite some injury worries — Gallo has played more than 60 games in just three of his six NBA seasons — he's a player just hitting the prime of his career.

"I'm 26. I still have a lot to learn, a lot to improve," Gallinari said. "The sky is the limit. You'll always find me in the gym, working on my game. Looking forward to next season because I think I'm going to be better than the player I finished this season."

 

[marz]

Tim Connelly is trash

 

Basically received nothing for Lawson.

 

[aepps20]

I think we all knew Lawson was gone but I'm not sure this was the best deal but oh well.

 

[executive76]

I find it hard to believe that's the best deal that was available...regardless they should have held out. All they had to do was suspend him/keep him away from the team if they thought he was going to be an issue/bad influence

Chris Mannix ‏@ChrisMannixSI
The Denver Nuggets are finalizing a two-year, $31 million contract extension with forward Danilo Gallinari, NBA sources tell SI.

 

[executive76]

Guaranteed deals:

1.) Emmanuel Mudiay
2.) Jameer Nelson
3.) Randy Foye
4.) Gary Harris
5.) Will Barton
6.) Danilo Gallinari
7.) Wilson Chandler
8.) Kenneth Faried
9.) J.J. Hickson
10.) Jusuf Nurkic
11.) Nikola Jokic
12.) Joffrey Lauvergne
Incoming players:
13.) Nick Johnson
14.) Joey Dorsey

Non-guaranteed deals:

15.) Erick Green
16.) Kostas Papanikolaou ($4.8 million deal, must be decided upon by Oct. 4th)


Unrestricted free agent:

17.) Darrell Arthur (closing in on deal with the team)
18.) Ian Clark (might be a training camp invite)

That's 17 players (with Clark being a very unsure 1, and Denver would have to make two more moves to get to the roster maximum of 15. The candidates to not make the team come opening night? Foye, Hickson, and Green. Denver could easily find a taker for Foye, but they may value his voice and ability to log minutes at shooting guard. Hickson's deal should be difficult to move, but his $5.6 million is expiring. And Green could be waived as his $845K is not guaranteed.

 

[scotthallwithapick]

Give Green A Chance! This franchise is poop

 

[executive76]

Chris Dempsey ‏@dempseypost 11m11 minutes ago
Guard Erick Green and forward Kostas Papanikolaou's deals are not guaranteed just yet, but both have dates in the future that they will be.

 

[executive76]

Denver Nuggets’ lack of perimeter shooting still a concern

http://bsndenver.com/denver-nuggets-lack-of-perimeter-shooting-still-a-concern/

 

[executive76]

 

[executive76]

 

[aepps20]

I hope to catch a few games at the Pepsi Center if the squad is decent.

 

[executive76]

Jusuf Nurkic won't be ready to start Nuggets training camp

http://www.denverpost.com/nuggets/ci_28865725/jusuf-nurkic-wont-be-ready-start-nuggets-training

 

[aepps20]

Unfortunate

 

[executive76]

I hope to catch a few games at the Pepsi Center if the squad is decent.

I'm gonna try to catch them in ATL or CHA wish they weren't so close together or I'd try for both.


Think it's safe to say they'll win more than 30 games.

 

[aepps20]

I'm gonna try to catch them in ATL or CHA wish they weren't so close together or I'd try for both.


Think it's safe to say they'll win more than 30 games.

Exec, I thought you were from Colorado?

 

[executive76]

Nope not not even close I need to make it out there though.

 

[aepps20]

Nope not not even close I need to make it out there though.

If you ever get out here hit me up.

 

[executive76]

^I will




Not sure why they want him so bad but yeah...

Mike Miller Clears Waivers, Set To Sign With Nuggets

Mike Miller has cleared waivers and will sign a one-year deal with the Denver Nuggets.

Miller was waived by the Portland Trail Blazers several weeks after being traded by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Nuggets pursued Miller during the 2014 offseason.

 

[executive76]

These turnovers :x

 

[executive76]

14 points,8 turnovers, 3 assists 1 steal

5-18 3-7 from 3pt



I'm no expert but seems like the biggest problem with his jumper are... his feet are never together and he kicks his legs out.

 

[aepps20]

Saw some good and bad out there.

 

[wavycrocket]

Saw some good and bad out there.

Yup. My takeaways. Mudiay was also going against one the best defensive PG's in basketball in the first half.

He'll be fine. We'll be a 30 win team this year and land Ben Simmons in next years draft

 

[wavycrocket]

Will with 13 boards though

 

[executive76]