Nuggets have little money to spend, but plenty of work left

By Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published July 1, 2008 at 12:22 a.m.

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Photo by Jerry Lai / Associated Press

Nuggets guard J.R. Smith dunks during the second quarter of Friday night's game against the Chicago Bulls. Chicago won 135-121.

There's not much money to spend but plenty of roster spots.

The Nuggets, deep into the luxury tax, enter today's start of free agency with eight players with guaranteed contracts totaling more than $78 million. They must carry 13 players in the regular season.

Monday's deadline passed with the Nuggets making no announcement on picking up the $972,581 qualifying offer of guard Yakhouba Diawara, which would make him an unrestricted free agent instead of restricted.

"I guess there's no tender," Diawara's agent, Buona Ndiaye said Monday night.

Diawara said he hadn't spoken to any Nuggets official for a month and had no idea whether the team still has interest in him.

Nuggets executive Mark Warkentien declined comment.

Diawara said his former Pepperdine coach, Paul Westphal, is close to becoming a Chicago assistant and he would have interest in signing there. Other teams expected to look at Diawara are Dallas, Miami and San Antonio.

Other Denver unrestricted free agents are guard Anthony Carter and forward Eduardo Najera. Guard J.R. Smith, whom the Nuggets want to retain, is restricted.

With Smith in line to possibly get a deal around the midlevel exception of $5.5 million, it remains to be seen how much the Nuggets might spend on other roster spots. If Carter isn't re-signed, the Nuggets might be in the market for a point guard, with free agents Tyronn Lue and Sam Cassell already having expressed interest.

The Nuggets' end-of- the-bench players might end up making the minimum.

Second-round pick Sonny Weems is likely to sign for the minimum, and the Nuggets must make calls by Aug. 1 and Aug. 15 on Taurean Green and Bobby Jones or else their minimum deals become guaranteed.

ETC.: Nuggets guard Allen Iverson donated $100,000 to his home-state Peninsula Community Foundation of Virginia to support local programs that support youths to stay in school and prevent gang violence and drug involvement. . . . The salary cap is expected to be about $59 million and the luxury tax line around $70 million.

• July 1, 2008

  5:59 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  paguy1955 writes:

  Stop it. Do not mention Lue and Cassell again. They just said they were interested for only one reason. TO NOT BURN THEIR BRIDGES. If they get an offer from any other team...poof..there gone and without giving Denver a second thought!

• July 1, 2008

  9:41 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Coffee_Mug writes:

  Talk about a waist of money. Lose the players that actually play and keep the guys that don't. Don't expect anything positive from the nuggets, accept for higher ticket prices. Don't worry melo, you just sit back and relax and have another drink before you go home. The police will make sure you make it home safely.

• July 1, 2008

  10 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  anthony1979 writes:

  Come on glassguy...it's getting a little old buddy...I really would HATE for Cassel or Lue to be here...I don't think they are much of an upgrade of Atkins or Carter...Trade Kleiza, our draft pick and Camby for a GOOD PG OR shift A.I. to PG, JR to SG so it would be

  PG A.I.
  SG JR
  SF Melo
  PF K-Mart
  C Camby

  A.I. lead the Nuggs in assists last year anyway...isn't that what a point is suppose to do??

• July 1, 2008

  2:16 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  newshound writes:

  AI is not a point guard, however in this offense he HAS to play point guard. JR should be a starter,and Carter needs to go. The biggest problem the Nuggets have is that Camby is wasted space. Yes he gets some blocks and rebounds, but he takes bad shots and never takes a charge. Keep Najera because he can play D and hustles. The Nuggets need a more offensive minded C to keep the pressure off of Melo.

• July 1, 2008

  3:46 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  AIfan333 writes:

  Tyronn Lue?! Sam Cassell?! Ok lue in denver would be a joke, a complete joke, you really think he can keep up w/ A.I. i swear he was the one iverson stepped over in te finals back in 01 he's not a good guard and cassell is tooo old, better than lue though

• July 1, 2008

  3:54 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  zachm219 writes:

  Sam Cassel does solve the undersized backcourt issues, at least for a year until he retires. However he doesn't solve anything other than that, i would much rather have someone, anyone younger than cassell. Trade Camby and Atkins and Weems to Chicago for hinrich, still have JR and Kleiza as the first guys off the bench.

• July 1, 2008

  6:47 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  joeblow writes:

  Hmmmmmm. We may be on the brink of the Sam Cassel-Tyrone Lui era? Interesting. Yes. Very interesting. Almost makes you forget the Tom LaGarde era.

• July 1, 2008

  10:08 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  sickandtired writes:

  Yeah, joeblow - but not the Robb Williams era. That was my favorite - only because Doug Moe called him a "fat little pig".

  What do you think would happen if a Nuggets coach called a player that now?

  And of course, don't forget the Kim Hughes era. Unforgettable in my book.

• July 4, 2008

  2:01 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  duboisb writes:

  There is plenty of money.

  We have the middle level exception.

  The Nuggets are stingy and stupid. Stan, if you don't want to build a championship team, then sell it.

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