Denver Nuggets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Details On Monte Morris Contract

December 13th, 2020 at 1:37pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Nuggets reserve point guard Monte Morris agreed to a new, three-year extension with Denver this offseason. Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports tweets the full details of the agreement, which is fully guaranteed with no player or team options. It will pay Morris $8.4MM for the 2021/22 season, $9.1MM in 2022/23, and $9.8MM in 2023/24.

The No. 51 pick by the Nuggets out of Iowa State in the 2017 draft, Morris has carved out a core rotation role with the club during the last two seasons. In 2019/20, he averaged 9.0 PPG, 3.5 APG, 1.9 RPG and 0.8 SPG. He sported a slash line of .459/.378/.843.

Nuggets Promote Wes Unseld Jr. To Associate Head Coach

December 11th, 2020 at 6:19pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nuggets have promoted Wes Unseld Jr. to associate head coach, according to a team press release.

Unseld begins his sixth season with the Nuggets coaching staff and will continue to oversee the defensive game plans.

He interviewed for the Rockets’ head coaching job this offseason. Houston wound up hiring Mavericks assistant Stephen Silas. He was also a candidate for the Bulls’ coaching vacancy, which was filled by Billy Donovan.

“Wes is extremely deserving of this promotion. He is one of the hardest working people I’ve come across in this league and he has been an integral part of my coaching staff since we both arrived in Denver in 2015,” Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said in a statement. “I’ve said many times over the years that Wes is ready and deserving of a head coaching position in the NBA and it’s only a matter of time until that day comes.”

Prior to joining the Nuggets, Unseld spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Magic. He has also spent time in the Warriors and Wizards organizations.

Barton Doubtful For First Preseason Game

December 10th, 2020 at 9:55pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone has deemed wing Will Barton “doubtful” for Saturday’s first preseason bout against the Warriors, Chris Dempsey of Altitude Sports tweets. Malone also hailed guard PJ Dozier as the “MVP” of Denver’s training camp thus far.

Nuggets Exercise Fourth-Year Option For MPJ

December 10th, 2020 at 4:19pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Nuggets announced (Twitter link) that they have picked up their fourth-year team option on forward Michael Porter Jr., who enjoyed a promising 2019/20 season for the club. The option will pay Porter $5,258,735 in ’21/22.

As we outlined earlier, players entering the second or third year of their rookie scale deals are already under contract for this year. December 29 is the deadline for clubs to make determinations on those players for next season, 2021/22.

Porter missed his entire first season as a pro due to a back injury, so 2019/20 was technically his rookie year. In just 16.4 minutes per contest, the 6’10” forward out of Missouri averaged 9.3 PPG and 4.7 RPG across 55 games. He showcased an impressive slash line, shooting .509/.422/.833.

With the departure of starting small forward Jerami Grant to the Pistons this offseason, Porter figures to see a bigger role on the floor for Denver. He will be eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2021 offseason.

With New Standard Contract, Bol Bol Explores Positional Fit

December 9th, 2020 at 9:08pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After logging most of his first NBA season in the G League, Nuggets big man Bol Bol flashed intriguing potential in seven of eight regular-season NBA restart seeding game contests. After Denver converted his two-way contract into a two-year, $4.1MM contract this offseason, questions remain about the slight, 7’2″ Bol’s ultimate positional fit on the court, as Mike Singer of the Denver Post details.

Nuggets Sign Monte Morris To Three-Year Extension

December 9th, 2020 at 6:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

DECEMBER 9: Morris has officially signed his extension, the Nuggets announced today in a press release.

DECEMBER 7: The Nuggets have agreed to a three-year, $27MM extension with guard Monte Morris, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. The deal will be fully guaranteed and includes incentives that could bump the value to $9.4MM annually, Mike Singer of the Denver Post tweets.

Morris would have been an unrestricted free agent next offseason without an extension. That’s because Morris was credited with a year of service under CBA rules when he signed a two-way contract in 2017, ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (Twitter links).

It’ll be a big raise for Morris, who is due to make $1,723,707 in the upcoming season.

Morris appeared in three games during the 2017/18 season and has become a valuable member of the rotation the past two seasons. He appeared in all 82 regular-season games during the 2018/19 season and 73, including 12 starts, last season. He has averaged 9.6 PPG and 3.5 APG in 23.0 MPG in those 158 appearances.

He averaged 9.1 PPG and 2.7 APG during 19 postseason games in Orlando during Denver’s run to the Western Conference Finals.

Denver signed Euro star Facundo Campazzo last month as another option behind starting point man Jamal Murray but the extension displays the Nuggets’ commitment to Morris.

Morris’ extension will make him ineligible to be traded before the 2021 trade deadline, as Marks explains (via Twitter).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Morris, Campazzo Could Share Second-Unit Backcourt

December 8th, 2020 at 5:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nuggets are confident backup point guard Monte Morris and EuroLeague import Facundo Campazzo will be able to play together in the second unit, Kendra Andrews of The Athletic writes. Rookie draft pick RJ Hampton will need more seasoning before he’s ready for big minutes, Andrews said. Denver and Morris, one of the team’s top reserves the past two seasons, agreed on a three-year, $27MM extension on Monday.

Northwest Notes: Porter, J. Green, Hood, Towns

December 5th, 2020 at 9:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Michael Porter Jr. is confident that he’s ready to be the third star the Nuggets are looking for, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Porter got uneven playing time at the beginning of last season, but injuries gave him a chance to be a starter and he became a star at Disney World, earning a spot on the All-Seeding Games second team.

Denver is counting on a strong second season from Porter after losing Jerami Grant and Torrey Craig in free agency. That leaves a huge hole at the wing spots, and Porter is ready to build on what he has learned.

“I kind of saw everything last year,” he said. “We played LeBron (James) in the playoffs, I played against Kawhi (Leonard), Paul George, all the best players at my position. So I feel like I have some experience now going into this season that I didn’t have last year in my first year playing. I went from DNPs to starting on a Western Conference finals team in the playoffs. I learned a lot in one year and looking to carry that over to this year. I want to make a really big jump. I’ve been working really hard in all the areas that I saw that I need to get better in the playoffs. I’m excited and I feel like I’m ready.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Nuggets players are excited about the addition of free agent forward JaMychal Green, according to Alex Labidou of NBA.com. Denver was looking to add toughness, which Green has displayed by establishing a presence in the league after going undrafted in 2012. “I’m just glad he’s on our team. He’s one of those power forwards you hate to go up against,” Paul Millsap said. “He’s a guy I’ve battled against for many years. He’s always had an attitude to be relentless and to win.”
Trail Blazers swingman Rodney Hood is ready for a fresh start after a year filled with personal tragedy and recovery from an Achilles tear he suffered last December, notes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. Hood is close to being cleared for five-on-five play and is expected to back up new additions Robert Covington and Derrick Jones Jr.
Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns is heading into a new season with the pain of losing his mother and six other loved ones to COVID-19 still fresh on his mind, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Towns talked about the difficulty of focusing on basketball in the midst of so much tragedy. “I play this game more because I just love watching my family members seeing me play a game I was very good and successful at,” he said. “It always brought a smile for me when I saw my mom at the baseline and in the stands and stuff and having a good time watching me play. It’s going to be hard to play. It’s going to be difficult to say that this is therapy. I don’t think this will ever be therapy again for me. But it gives me a chance to relive good memories I had. I guess that’s the only therapy I’m going to get from it. It’s not going to really help me emotionally or anything.”

Barton Declares He Ought To Start

December 4th, 2020 at 7:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Swingman Will Barton believes he should be part of the Nuggets’ starting five, Mike Singer of the Denver Post tweets. “I’m a starter in this league. … I think it’s clear cut,” he said. “I’m a starter. At the end of the day, (it’s up to Coach (Michael) Malone).” Barton missed all of the restart, including Denver’s playoff run, with a knee injury. Barton could wind up competing with Michael Porter Jr. for the small forward spot, though Porter will also see action at power forward.

Connelly: Losing Grant Was "Surprising And Disappointing"

December 3rd, 2020 at 1:37pm CST by Luke Adams

When Jerami Grant left Denver for Detroit last month, reports indicated that the Nuggets had expected to re-sign the forward and were caught off guard when he chose the Pistons. The Nuggets’ president of basketball operations, Tim Connelly, confirmed as much this week, telling reporters that “it was a bit surprising and disappointing” that the team couldn’t get a deal done with Grant (Twitter link via Kendra Andrews of The Athletic).
Newly-signed Nuggets big man Isaiah Hartenstein said he chose to join Denver because he’ll get an opportunity to have an immediate role on a contending team, tweets Mike Singer of The Denver Post.