I thought Jameer Nelson declined his $2.85 million player option to find a better team, even if that likely meant giving up money to leave the Nuggets.
Turns out, they’ll pay more to keep him in Denver.
Marc Stein of ESPN:
ESPN sources say that the Nuggets have already quietly filed two contracts with the league, striking deals with Jameer Nelson & Nikola Jokic
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 13, 2015
ESPN sources say Jameer Nelson has landed three-year, $13.5M from Denver, while Jokic (2014 second-rounder) gets four-year deal worth $5.5M
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 13, 2015
With Emmanuel Mudiay playing so well in summer league, this is another sign Denver will try to trade Ty Lawson. Nelson can mentor Mudiay and play ahead of him until Mudiay is ready for a bigger role.
The Nuggets don’t have to trade Lawson because of the 33-year-old Nelson, but adding another point guard to the roster certainly doesn’t reduced a desire to deal that already exists.
I really like the addition of Jokic, whom the Nuggets drafted No. 41 in 2014. He’s a strong center who has played well overseas and in summer league. That’s a great value for him.
