Devin Sweetney

Nuggets Waive Johnson, Pecherov, Sweetney

The Nuggets have waived Nick Johnson, Oleksiy Pecherov and Devin Sweetney, the team announced via a press release. The cuts pave the way for Erick Green to stick for opening night on his partially guaranteed deal, notes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, and he’s indeed made the regular season roster, as Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post confirms (Twitter links). Green’s guarantee is just $100K. Pecherov and Sweetney’s deals are non-guaranteed, but Johnson’s deal is fully guaranteed for two more seasons, and he is owed $845,059 for 2015/16 and $980,431 for the 2016/17 campaign, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. Denver will be responsible for that unless Johnson is claimed off waivers. The team’s roster count now stands at 15, the regular season limit.

Johnson, 22, was acquired from Houston as part of the Ty Lawson trade. The 2014 42nd overall pick appeared in 28 games last season, averaging 2.6 points and 1.4 rebounds in 9.4 minutes per game, and he owned a slash line of .347/.238/.680. Johnson’s release means the Nuggets have waived all four of the players they acquired in the Lawson trade, Dempsey notes (Twitter link).

Pecherov, 29, has been out of the NBA since the 2009/10 campaign when he appeared in 44 games for the Timberwolves. The center has career NBA averages of 3.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.2 blocks to go along with a slash line of .386/.290/.793.

The 27-year-old Sweetney went undrafted out of St. Francis of Pennsylvania in 2010. In four seasons with the Red Flash, the swingman averaged 14.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.7 assists, and he had a shooting line of .423/.268/.785. Sweetney spent the 2014/15 season playing for a pair of teams in Switzerland, where he notched averages of 20.0 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 2.3 APG in 19 total contests, before finishing up with Huracanes of the Dominican Republic on a four-game stint in which he put up 9.3 PPG, 2.8 RPG and 1.0 APG in 27.3 MPG.

Nuggets Sign Oleksiy Pecherov, Devin Sweetney

SEPTEMBER 16TH, 2:10pm: The signings have taken place, though the team hasn’t announced them, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). They’re for one year at the minimum salary and non-guaranteed with limited injury protection, Pincus adds, making them Exhibit 9 contracts.

SEPTEMBER 8TH, 10:43pm: The Nuggets have agreed to deals with unrestricted free agents Oleksiy Pecherov and Devin Sweetney, Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post reports (Twitter link). The length and terms of the pacts are unknown, but Dempsey classified them as training camp deals, which means both players have likely agreed to minimum salary pacts with little or no guaranteed salary, though that is merely my speculation. The additions of Pecherov and Sweetney will bring Denver’s roster count up to 19 players, which is one below the preseason maximum.

Pecherov, 29, has been out of the NBA since the 2009/10 campaign when he appeared in 44 games for the Timberwolves. The center has career NBA averages of 3.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.2 blocks to go along with a slash line of .386/.290/.793. The seven-footer, who spent last season with the Estonian club BC Kalev/Cramo, has reportedly been eyeing an NBA comeback for the coming season, and he had originally worked out for Denver at the end of June.

The 27-year-old Sweetney went undrafted out of Saint Francis back in 2010. In four seasons with the Red Flash, the swingman averaged 14.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.7 assists, and he had a shooting line of .423/.268/.785. Sweetney spent the 2014/15 season playing for a pair of teams in Switzerland, where he notched averages of 20.0 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 2.3 APG in 19 total contests, before finishing up with Huracanes of the Dominican Republic on a four-game stint in which he put up 9.3 PPG, 2.8 RPG and 1.0 APG in 27.3 MPG.