Denver Nuggets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nuggets To Sign Javante McCoy

September 21st, 2025 at 7:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Nuggets have agreed to sign free agent Javante McCoy, reports Chris Haynes (via Twitter). Haynes doesn’t specify the terms of the deal, but it’s likely an Exhibit 10 training camp deal.

McCoy is a 27-year-old shooting guard out of Boston University, where he played for five years, averaging 17.4 points and 2.9 assists per game while making 42.5% of his three-point attempts in his final season.

McCoy averaged 12.9 PPG and 2.3 APG on .552/.451/.889 shooting last season for the Pistons’ G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise. He previously played for the Austin Spurs and South Bay Lakers.

After signing McCoy, the Nuggets will have 20 of their 21 training camp roster spots filled. With an Exhibit 10 deal, McCoy could earn an $85,300 bonus if he’s waived before the season starts and spends at least 60 days with the Nuggets’ G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold.

Nuggets Sign, Waive Dane Goodwin

September 19th, 2025 at 8:59pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Nuggets have signed and subsequently waived Dane Goodwin, per the NBA’s transaction log. Goodwin was likely on an Exhibit 10 training camp contract.

The 6’6″ guard went undrafted in 2023 and has been signed and waived by the Kings and Jazz in the last two seasons. He averaged 11.5 points per game and shot 40.4% on three-pointers with the Salt Lake City Stars (Utah’s G League affiliate) last season.

Goodwin was a five-year player for Notre Dame, where he held career averages of 10.8 PPG and 4.4 RPG on .443/.391/.823 shooting splits.

The move will allow Goodwin to secure a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he stays with the Nuggets’ G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, for at least 60 days. That is a likely outcome, as the Gold acquired Goodwin’s returning rights from the Stars in a trade in August.

Aaron Gordon Thrilled About Nuggets’ Offseason Moves

September 17th, 2025 at 9:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Nuggets‘ new front office made several significant additions this summer in an effort to rebuild a championship-level roster. Among those impressed by the moves is power forward Aaron Gordon, who shared his excitement in an interview this week with Malika Andrews on NBA Today (hat tip to The Sports Rush).

Denver sent Michael Porter Jr. to Brooklyn in a trade for Cameron Johnson, and acquired backup center Jonas Valanciunas from Sacramento in a separate deal. The team also added shooting by signing free agent swingman Tim Hardaway Jr.

“That’s a squad, especially with Big Val too,” Gordon said. “Big Val is gonna hold that down. That’s a boy. We got a squad.”

The move that Gordon is most excited about is the return of versatile swingman Bruce Brown, who was also added in free agency. Brown was an important member of the 2023 title team and was used at several positions.

“Brucey B is back. Uh-oh. Might be problems for y’all, Brucey B is back,” Gordon said.

Gordon, who celebrated his 30th birthday on Tuesday, is coming off a typically productive season that saw him average 14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 51 games. He has fully recovered from the hamstring injury that limited his effectiveness in Games 6 and 7 of the Western Conference semifinals loss to Oklahoma City.

Gordon, who has developed an on-court chemistry with Nikola Jokic since being traded to Denver in 2021, also talked about the privilege of playing alongside the perennial MVP candidate every night.

“He’s amazing … to get to play around one of the best players, if not the best player of all-time,” Gordon said. “It’s the gravity that Joker has. I think we have a great understanding of each other on and off the basketball floor. You guys are gonna see that flourish.”

Michael Malone To Join NBA Countdown Panel

September 17th, 2025 at 8:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Former Nuggets head coach Michael Malone is the latest addition to the NBA Countdown pregame show, according to Ben Axelrod of Awful Announcing, who states that ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro revealed the hiring Tuesday during an appearance at Front Office Sports’ Tuned In Summit.

After being dismissed from his coaching job late last season, Malone served as a guest commentator for ESPN during the playoffs. He even sparked a mini-controversy when said Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander “showed why he’s the MVP,” although he later clarified that he would have voted for his former player, Nikola Jokic.

Malone was reportedly a candidate to replace Tom Thibodeau in New York before Mike Brown was ultimately hired. With no other head coaching jobs currently open, Malone has opted to continue his career in broadcasting.

It’s uncertain what other changes will be made to the NBA Countdown team, Axelrod adds. Malika Andrews hosted both versions of the show last season, with Stephen A. Smith, Bob Myers and Kendrick Perkins joining her on ABC broadcasts and Perkins, Chiney Ogwumike, Richard Jefferson, Brian Windhorst and Tim Legler rounding out the panel on ESPN games.

Jefferson has been promoted to the network’s top broadcast team, so Malone may simply take his place.

Malone, 54, brings an extensive NBA background to the job. He spent one year as head coach in Sacramento and 10 with the Nuggets, compiling a career record of 510-394 and capturing the championship in 2023. Before that, he served 13 years as an assistant coach with New York, Cleveland, New Orleans and Golden State.

And-Ones: Roster Holes, G League Trades

September 15th, 2025 at 10:37pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

With the start of training camp mere weeks away, Kevin Pelton of ESPN takes a look at the biggest 2025/26 roster holes for all 30 NBA teams.

Beyond the reigning champion Thunder, who will be bringing back their full playoff lineup and whose perceived biggest need is a fresh arena, Pelton believes every club has personnel issues.

Among top East contenders, Pelton posits that Cleveland could use some help along the wing with injured swingman Max Strus expected to be out for multiple months. Pelton notes that New York may want to add more proven veteran help to shore up its bench. In the West, Pelton observes that the Rockets and Nuggets could use help at the point, while Minnesota could benefit from some additional depth on the perimeter.

There’s more from around the basketball world:

The Pistons‘ G League club, the Motor City Cruise, has traded the returning player rights to big man Cameron Martin and guard Javante McCoy to the Nuggets‘ NBAGL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, for the rights to center Charles Bediako and a 2026 international pick, Motor City has announced (Twitter link).
Raptors 905, the Raptors‘ NBAGL affiliate, is trading their rights to guard Kennedy Chandler to the Sixers‘ G League club, the Delaware Blue Coats, in exchange for wing Patrick McCaw and a future first-rounder, reports Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter). Murphy tweets that some EuroLeague teams considered bringing McCaw aboard earlier in the offseason. McCaw has been in the G League for four seasons, and Murphy is unsure if he’ll continue suiting up close to NBA scouts or will take a more lucrative offer elsewhere.
In case you missed it, newly crowned EuroBasket MVP Dennis Schröder cited Hall of Fame countryman Dirk Nowitzki as the major inspiration who helped turn Germany into an international force.

Nuggets Sign Moses Brown

September 14th, 2025 at 8:28am CST by Eli Cohen

September 14: Brown’s deal with the Nuggets is official, per RealGM’s transactions log.

September 12: The Nuggets have agreed to a deal with Moses Brown, reports Michael Scotto for HoopsHype (via Twitter).

The terms of the contract were undisclosed, but it is expected to be an Exhibit 10 training camp deal, given that the Grand Rapids Gold – Denver’s G League affiliate – recently acquired Brown’s returning rights in a three-team trade.

Brown has played six years in the NBA and holds career averages of 5.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks in 11.7 minutes per night.

He spent the majority of last season with the Westchester Knicks, averaging 17.9 points and 15.7 rebounds per game across 35 G League outings. He also played four games for the Mavericks, with whom he averaged 11.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks in 18.3 minutes per contest.

The Nuggets added Jonas Valanciunas this summer, as well as getting sophomore big man DaRon Holmes II back from the Achilles tear that caused him to miss his rookie season. They currently have one spot available on their projected 15-man regular season roster, but may not fill it right away due to their proximity to the luxury tax line.

Heat Notes: 2026, Rozier, Achiuwa, Settle, Young

September 11th, 2025 at 10:33pm CST by Luke Adams

While the idea of opening up cap room in 2026 was once a goal for the Heat, that’s no longer the case, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, who notes that several potential marquee ’26 free agents have signed contract extensions that will keep them off the market.

The Heat still want to maintain flexibility going forward, but that will likely be more about having room below the luxury tax line than creating cap space, Jackson explains.

Outlining what it would look like for Miami to operate either over or under the 2026/27 cap, Jackson points out that generating a meaningful chunk of cap room would likely require the club to part ways with both Andrew Wiggins and Norman Powell. Operating over the cap appears to be the more “prudent” path for the Heat next summer, Jackson concludes.

Here’s more on the Heat:

After reporting earlier this week that the Heat have been in contact with Precious Achiuwa and have mulled the idea of waiving Terry Rozier, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required) digs a little deeper into that subject, exploring why Miami has considered that path. As Winderman details, Rozier is a potential bounce-back candidate and may be a better player than Achiuwa in a vacuum, but the veteran guard could also end up buried on a crowded backcourt depth chart, whereas the team has a more pressing need up front.
Although the Heat’s training camp won’t formally get underway until the week of September 29, several players are already back on the practice court at Kaseya Center for drills, Winderman writes within a look at the team’s roster. Winderman confirms in the same story that Miami – which currently has a full 21-man roster – is still expected to sign undrafted rookie free agent Steve Settle to an Exhibit 10 contract at some point before the regular season, as previously reported.
The Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s G League affiliate, acquired Jahmir Young‘s returning rights from the Grand Rapids Gold in a three-team trade that sent Bryson Warren‘s rights to the Westchester Knicks and Moses Brown‘s rights to the Gold (the Nuggets‘ affiliate), per a press release. Young was one of four players who signed Exhibit 10 contracts with the Heat on Thursday, so if he’s waived before the season and then decides to play in the G League, the Skyforce would have his rights.

Nuggets Announce Additions To Coaching Staff

September 10th, 2025 at 9:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Nuggets confirmed the hiring of Jared Dudley as the top assistant to head coach David Adelman and announced several other additions to their coaching staff in a press release.

As first reported in early July, Dudley accepted the position with Denver over offers from Memphis and Cleveland. He spent the past four seasons as an assistant coach with the Mavericks, joining them after ending his 14-year playing career.

Another former NBA player, J.J. Barea, is joining Adelman’s staff as an assistant coach. He also worked for Dallas after his playing career ended, serving as a player development coach during the 2021/22 season. Barea had been coaching the Guaynabo Mets in his native Puerto Rico before being dismissed in May. His expected hiring was also reported in July.

Mike Moser is coming to Denver after spending the last two seasons as an assistant in Houston and the previous year as a player enhancement coach with Boston. Moser also spent time with the Mavericks and the University of Oregon women’s program, and he has coached overseas in Lithuania, Israel, Kosovo, Qatar, Finland and France.

Chase Buford was hired after serving as an assistant last season at his alma mater, the University of Kansas. He also coached in Australia, winning two NBA titles with the Sydney Kings, and in the G League with the Wisconsin Herd.

Rodney Billups, the younger brother of Portland head coach Chauncey Billups, served as a scout with Brooklyn last season. He also spent three years as an assistant with the Trail Blazers and another season as a scout with Milwaukee.

The Nuggets also announced that Andrew Munson has been promoted to assistant coach and Ben Potts was hired as head video coordinator/player development coach.

Greece Reaches EuroBasket Semis Behind Giannis’ 29 Points

September 9th, 2025 at 5:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Behind Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece reached the EuroBasket semifinals for the first time in 16 years, downing Lithuania, 87-76, in Riga, Latvia on Tuesday.

The Bucks superstar poured in 29 points to carry his team into a semifinal matchup with Turkey. Greece stalled in the quarterfinals during four of the last five EuroBasket tourneys, but broke though with a strong second-half effort.

Greece led 44-38 at the halftime break. Lithuania scored the first three points of the second half before Greece increased the cushion back to 51-41. It was 58-43 midway through the third quarter. Lithuania never got closer than eight points the rest of the way.

Giannis converted 9-of-15 shots and 11-of-16 free throws while scoring 29 points. He also added six rebounds, two assists, four steals and a block. Vasileios Toliopoulos hit three 3-pointers while scoring 17 points and Kostas Sloukas added 11 points and four assists.

Greece moved to within just two wins of their third EuroBasket crown. They took gold in 1987 and 2005.

“My players did a great job playing with a big heart in front of so many thousands of people from Lithuania in a very nice atmosphere,” head coach Vasileios Spanoulis said, per FIBA.

Nuggets big man Jonas Valanciunas led Lithuania with 24 points and 15 rebounds.

“Tonight was a battle. Both teams battled until the end. They were stronger,” Valanciunas said. “They were better than us. I was just happy we fought until the end, no matter what. It was a good fight.”

And-Ones: Top Newcomers, Realignment, McGrady, St. Bonnie’s

September 9th, 2025 at 1:09pm CST by Luke Adams

With most of the NBA’s offseason action now in the books, Chris Herring and Kevin Pelton of ESPN identify the 14 NBA “newcomers” whose changes of scenery will have the greatest impact in 2025/26.

There are no surprises at the top of the list, which features new Rockets forward Kevin Durant at No. 1, Magic guard Desmond Bane at No. 2, and Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson at No. 3. However, Herring and Pelton deviate a little from expectations at No. 4 by including a head coach: Mike Brown of the Knicks. As Herring writes, it’s possible no coach in the league will face more “title-or-bust pressure” than Brown in his first year on the job.

Lakers center Deandre Ayton rounds out the top five on the 14-man list, which – outside of Brown – is made up exclusively of players.

We have more from around the basketball world:

What might NBA realignment look like if the league were to expand to Las Vegas and Seattle? Zach Harper of The Athletic takes a closer look at that topic, exploring scenarios in which either the Timberwolves, Pelicans, or Grizzlies move to the Eastern Conference and considering how the league might shuffle its divisions around in each hypothetical case.
Former NBA star Tracy McGrady has signed a new endorsement deal to reunite with Adidas, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the two parties are expected to work with longtime sports marketing executive Sonny Vaccaro to revive the ABCD (Academic Betterment and Career Development) Camp. As Charania explains in a follow-up tweet, the ABCD Camp was a youth basketball camp that ran for over two decades from 1984-2006 and featured several future stars, including McGrady himself.
The St. Bonaventure men’s basketball program will host its first ever pro day on Saturday, October 11 at the NBPA training facility in Manhattan, according to a press release from the school. “The first Bonnies Pro Day is a tremendous opportunity for NBA and G League front office executives to scout our players in a competitive practice and workout environment,” former ESPN reporter and current St. Bonnie’s general manager Adrian Wojnarowski said in a statement.