DENVER – As the Denver Nuggets immerse themselves in training camp in San Diego, they begin preparations for their title defense without key pieces that led them to the NBA mountaintop last season.
Among the players lost to free agency are Bruce Brown, Jeff Green and Thomas Bryant. Ish Smith is not rostered and remains a free agent.
Obviously, Bown was the biggest loss given that he averaged 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 80 regular season games. The 6-foot-4, 202-pound guard took his talents to the Indiana Pacers where he signed a lucrative two-year $45 million contract.
Green, meanwhile, went to the Houston Rockets where he is expected to mentor a young and talented core. Thomas Bryant inked with the powerhouse Miami Heat. Asked how the team will navigate a tough repeat bid without some veteran leadership, head coach Mike Malone had this to say.
“Those guys were really important to the locker room. because they were vocal. They were leaders. It all can’t be placed on DeAndre Jordan. It all can’t be placed on Reggie Jackson or KCP. I want Jamal (Murray) and Nikola (Jokic) to take ownership of this team,” Malone told the Denver Gazzette.
Tough task, indeed.
