Denver

Nuggets

Murray was ruled out for Canada’s pre-Worlds friendlies, with the hope being that he would be healthy enough to rejoin the team ahead of the World Cup. Unfortunately, it has been decided that the star guard needs more time to rehab and recover from what was his first season back from the torn ACL he suffered in the spring of 2021. The good news for Canada is that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and RJ Barrett are healthy, and they’ll continue to lead the way on the perimeter. As for Murray, he should be good to go when the Nuggets begin training camp in early October.

No specific reason was given in the report for Murray not being available for Canada’s three friendlies in Germany. The hope is that he’ll be able to join the team in Span for their second round of exhibitions ahead of this month’s FIBA World Cup, which begins on August 25. In total, Canada will play five games before the tournament opens. Murray was able to take on a full workload down the stretch as the Nuggets won their first NBA title, but it would be understandable if he’s looking to make sure he doesn’t take on too much ahead of next season.

Boum is the third player that Denver has signed to an Exhibit 10 contract this summer, joining Andrew Funk and Armaan Franklin. Undrafted out of Xavier, the 6-foot-3 point guard made 37 starts for the Musketeers last season, averaging 16.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.0 steals, and 2.1 3-pointers. Boum shot better than 40% from three during his final college season, but he faces a difficult path to a guaranteed roster spot. This transaction won’t impact fantasy basketball.

Cancar has been playing with the Slovenian National Team, but this injury will prevent him from returning to the court for them during the World Cup and will likely keep him sidelined for the majority of this upcoming season for Denver. Cancar’s absence should allow Peyton Watson, Julian Strawther or Hunter Tyson to get an opportunity earlier in the season.

Jokic had a lengthy NBA season, playing into mid-June as the Nuggets won their first championship in franchise history. As a result, the expectation is that the two-time MVP will sit out the FIBA World Cup, getting some extra rest ahead of next season. A durable player throughout his NBA career, Jokic played in a career-low 69 regular season games last season. That was still more than enough for fantasy managers to get proper value, as the Joker ranked first in 8- and 9-cat per-game value.

The 21st overall pick in last year’s draft, Braun took on a larger role than many anticipated as the Nuggets won their first championship. While the fantasy value wasn’t particularly high, the rookie did appear in 76 games, averaging 15.5 minutes per contest. With Bruce Brown now an Indiana Pacer, the Nuggets are going to need more from Braun as they look to defend their title. And it’s a task that he’s confident that he can take on. “It’s a good challenge and it’s something I’m looking forward to,” Braun said. “And I can’t wait to get out there. You know, it’s always good to take a step up in your role. And I think that my whole career in college, (it was) the same way.” Due to Brown’s departure, Braun will be worth using a late-round pick on in most fantasy leagues.

This transaction gives Funk the opportunity to compete for a roster spot in training camp, but the likely conclusion is that he’ll wind up with Denver’s G League affiliate. In four games with Denver’s Summer League squad, the former Penn State guard averaged 5.3 points in 11.1 minutes.

An undrafted free agent out of Virginia, Franklin appeared in two games for the Nuggets in Summer League. The Exhibit 10 contract gives him the opportunity to compete for a roster spot, but it’s more likely that Franklin winds up with the Nuggets’ G League affiliate when it’s all said and done.

Tyson has been awesome this summer, and even though he had a quieter night on Saturday, he was still able to stuff the stat sheet. He also hit four out of five free throw attempts down the stretch to help Denver take and keep the lead. Tyson may have been selected in the second round, but he may be a contributor for the Nuggets from day one, though it may not lead to much fantasy value.

After a quiet start to the summer, Strawther finished off Summer League with three straight 20-point games. Denver made three picks in the draft in June, with Strawther as their only one in the first-round. They looked to acquire older rookies that could contribute from day one if needed, and Strawther has showcased that ability this summer. He likely won’t be a fantasy factor aside from a few injury replacements, but he should help the Nuggets in their attempt to repeat as champions.