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Nuggets Reportedly Seeking Another Backup Big After Parting With Jonas Valanciunas
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- Nuggets Reportedly Seeking Another Backup Big After Parting With Jonas Valanciunas
(Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images)
The Denver Nuggets have spent most of the offseason focused on keeping their own players together, but one spot on the roster still has not been settled.
When Denver waived Jonas Valanciunas earlier this month, the team lost the main backup to Nikola Jokic , and that decision became final this week once Valanciunas signed overseas.
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Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer reports the front office knows the job is not finished.
"Denver is in need of another potential backup center after losing Jonas Valanciunas," Fischer said on Bleacher Report. "They waived him by their own decision, and he just officially signed in Lithuania.
"They brought in Marvin Bagley to be a backup center, but I do still think there's some thought in Denver about finding some more frontcourt depth."
Valanciunas was waived on July 8, just before the rest of his $10 million salary for next season would have become fully guaranteed, and on Wednesday he signed a two-year deal with Zalgiris Kaunas in his native Lithuania to close out a 14-year NBA career.
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The 34-year-old gave Denver steady minutes as Jokic's backup, averaging 8.7 points and 5.1 rebounds across 65 games for a team that went 54-28, finished third in the Western Conference, and then lost to Minnesota in six games in the first round.
Why Bagley Alone Is Not Enough
Bagley was Denver's first outside addition of the summer, agreeing to a one-year minimum deal after a solid season split between Washington and Dallas in which he averaged 10.5 points and 6.1 rebounds on 61.8 percent shooting.
His energy, offensive rebounding, and speed in transition should help the second unit, and moving on from Valanciunas made sense financially as the team chases a new deal for Peyton Watson .
The problem is that Bagley has always fit better as a power forward than a true center, since he does not protect the rim, and Jokic missed real time with injuries last season for the first time in years.
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Behind Bagley, DaRon Holmes II and Zeke Nnaji have not earned consistent trust, so leaning on that group for a full season would be a gamble.
Which Centers Are Still Available
The good news for Denver is that a few useful big men remain unsigned.
Nick Richards is the most natural fit, a physical screener and rebounder who averaged 5.8 points and 5.1 rebounds between Phoenix and Chicago and bumped those numbers to 9.4 and 7.6 in 20 games as a Bull.
Veterans such as Mason Plumlee , a former Nugget, along with Drew Eubanks , Bismack Biyombo , and Kelly Olynyk could all likely be had at the minimum.
With the front office showing a new willingness to spend and Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray still coming up in trade talks , the roster could keep shifting all summer.
Whatever shape it takes, another big behind Jokic should be part of it.
