With Richard Jefferson poised to clear waivers later today, the Nuggets are among the teams that have joined the pursuit of the veteran forward, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Wojnarowski previous reported that there was mutual interest between Jefferson and the Bucks, calling Milwaukee a “serious suitor” for the 37-year-old.
While the Nuggets and Bucks have expressed interest in Jefferson, they’re not the only teams in the mix. There are three or four teams serious about making a run at the former Cavalier, according to Wojnarowski, who adds that Jefferson has a “strong friendship” with Nuggets president and governor Josh Kroenke.
A 16-year NBA veteran, Jefferson averaged 5.7 PPG and 2.6 RPG in 79 regular season contests last year. He was a victim of a roster crunch in Cleveland after spending the last two seasons with the Cavs, with the club trading him to Atlanta along with Kay Felder on Saturday. The Hawks subsequently waived both players.
If the Nuggets were to land Jefferson, they’d have to make a corresponding roster move to clear room for him, since the clubs is currently carrying 15 players on fully guaranteed salaries. There’s no clear candidate on Denver’s roster to be cut — the team’s lowest-paid players are important contributors or young prospects, such as Nikola Jokic, Tyler Lydon, Malik Beasley, and Juan Hernangomez.