Category: Denver Nuggets Blog

Trade speculation swirls around Ty Lawson

It’ll be interesting to see if the Denver Nuggets hang onto point guard Ty Lawson or find him a new home this offseason. Here’s the Denver Post reporting:

Nuggets general manager Tim Connelly said the organization is in a good place just four days from as important an NBA draft as the team has had in a long time.

“It’s the time of year when all of our focus should be on the draft and potential trades around the draft,” Connelly said.

The Nuggets have made some of those trade calls, and they have received others.

The biggest trade speculation continues to swirl around last season’s starting point guard, Ty Lawson. But the reality is there are no untouchable players on the roster if the deal offered is one the Nuggets feel they can’t refuse.

“The variables come when you get one phone call and the best-laid plans go out of the window,” Connelly said.

Nuggets in search of new head coach

Here’s the Denver Post reporting on the Nuggets, who finished the regular season with a 30-52 record, not even coming close to qualifying for the playoffs in a very difficult Western conference.

The Nuggets are in search of their second coach since 2013. Popular opinion says they’re very worried about the bottom line, that they’ll skimp on the coach’s salary and place most of the monetary resources in player salaries. Yet, those close to the Nuggets say price will not be an issue during their search. And that takes into account the fact that the Nuggets still owe Brian Shaw, who was fired March 3, $2 million.

So if money is no object — or at least not an obstacle — the Nuggets should be in good shape financially in their search for a coach, which, last week, general manager Tim Connelly said had started.

“We don’t want to put any unnecessary internal time frames on it. There’s no deadline. I think the deadline is we want to have a coach as we head into the draft,” Connelly said of the June 25 event. “It’s a pretty pivotal pick for us, and a pretty pivotal moment. Not just with the draft itself and the chance to make trades, and free agency happens soon thereafter. So if we have to wait, we can wait. But we want to make sure that we talk to all of the quality candidates and pick the best guy.”

Here’s the Denver Post reporting on a versatile, highly-skilled former NBA guard with a great name and even better game:

Arguably one of the most underrated players in NBA history, Lever had 46 triple-doubles in his career with the Nuggets, more than two-thirds of the total triple-doubles in franchise history.

He was a triple-double threat every night. In six seasons with the Nuggets, Lever averaged 17.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game.He was named to the second-team all-defense in 1988 and is among the Nuggets’ top 10 all time in steals (1,167), assists (3,566), field goals made (3,304) and rebounds (3,621).

“When you’re playing, you really don’t pay attention to it that much,” Lever said. “As I look back now, and every time someone throws a stat at me that I wasn’t aware of now sticks out. The triple-doubles come up more now because of (Oklahoma City guard) Russell Westbrook. If I had that kind of athleticism I’d still be playing. But at the same time it’s one of those things where you remember it, you enjoy it and then you move on. And then you try to share some of those experiences with someone else — your family, your kids, people that I run across.

“I enjoy it.”

Darrell Arthur dealing with lingering injury

Here’s the Denver Post reporting on the 27-45 Nuggets and forward Darrell Arthur, who is averaging 6.6 points in 17.0 minutes per game as a reserve:

Darrell Arthur feels today — and everyday — as if it was Feb. 25.

The problem: He feels it in his strained right calf, which has given him problems ever since he sustained an injury that day against Phoenix. And it is making the end of his season with the Nuggets a daily struggle, not only to play but make it through a game. And then be able to bounce back for the following game.

“I’ve been sore for about a month,” Arthur said. “The only thing that’s going to help is time. Time and treatment.”

It is an all-too familiar feeling for Arthur, who endured constant nagging injuries and pain late last season due to a left hip strain and then a knee sprain.

Denver Nuggets fire coach Brian Shaw

The 20-39 Denver Nuggets, who have lost six straight games and nine of their last 10, have fired head coach Brian Shaw, it was announced today by General Manager and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly.

Melvin Hunt has been named the Nuggets’ interim head coach for the rest of the 2014-15 season.

“I want to sincerely thank Brian for his time with our organization,” said Connelly. “You won’t find a better guy than Brian and he is one of the brightest basketball minds I’ve ever been around. Unfortunately things didn’t go as we hoped, but we know with his basketball acumen that he has a very bright future ahead of him.”

Shaw was hired as head coach of the Nuggets on June 25, 2013 and in one-plus season he compiled a record of 56-85 (.397).

“On behalf of everyone in the Denver Nuggets organization, I would personally like to thank Brian for his services the past two seasons in Denver. He is a champion and a gentleman and I wish him nothing but the best for himself and his family moving forward. Since we purchased the franchise in 2000 we have constantly strived to field a competitive team, culminating in 10 straight playoff appearances and a franchise record 57 wins in the 2012-13 regular season. Expectations have been raised and we want more.

“This season our management staff has remained patient and supportive as decisions of this nature are never taken lightly. Patience is encouraged, as long as the organization continues to show progress toward a greater goal. However, competing for championships is our goal, and therefore we decided to make this decision now and look forward to conducting an extensive head coaching search upon the season’s conclusion. This has been a trying season for all of us, and we appreciate Nuggets fans continued faith and patience as we build our proud organization back to the NBA’s elite.”