Najera hopeful he's staying with Nuggets

By Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published July 2, 2008 at 6:20 p.m.
Updated July 3, 2008 at 1:03 p.m.

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Eduardo Najera could rejoin his college coach. He could return to where he attended high school. He could play where he went to college.

Still, Najera's preference is to stay with the Nuggets.

Najera said there has been ample interest in him as a free agent. The forward said Wednesday that Nuggets officials have told his agent, Dan Fegan, they want him back.

"That's definitely where I want to be," Najera said. "They're trying to come up with a plan."

Najera said money hasn't been discussed. He made $4.95 million last season, and the Nuggets are well into the luxury tax.

"The number is going to be an issue," said Najera, who is wary of a pay cut and dismissed taking the team's $1.91 million biannual exception. "Hopefully, they can work it out."

Najera has other suitors. One is Milwaukee, where Najera's former Oklahoma coach, Kelvin Sampson, is an assistant.

"A reunion would be great," Najera said. "But I'm not ready for that unless the Nuggets aren't a possibility."

Najera expressed similar sentiments about the Spurs and

SuperSonics, who have contacted Fegan.

Najera played in high school in San Antonio, and Seattle will move to Oklahoma City, where Najera lives.

Dallas and New Jersey also have expressed interest. But the Mavericks, whom Najera played for from 2000 to 2004, might be out after agreeing to use their full midlevel exception on

DeSagana Diop.

ETC.: Doug Moe, whose contract as a Nuggets assistant expired Monday, reiterated he's likely to return as a consultant, saying he'll talk with team officials about the role at the Las Vegas NBA Summer League. . . . Coaching Denver in the summer will be assistants Chad Iske and Jamahl Mosley. The first practice is July 10 and first game July 12. The roster includes Bobby Jones and Taurean Green, who have nonguaranteed deals, draftee Sonny Weems, eight-year veteran Jelani McCoy, five-year man Dahntay Jones and undrafted Tennessee rookie Chris Lofton, a testicular cancer survivor.

• July 2, 2008

  9:15 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  kmeissner writes:

  Keep Najera Denver! You'd be dumb to let him go. I don't care what it costs. He's a great defender and one of our ONLY hustle players!

• July 2, 2008

  10:15 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  arrangerx writes:

  Najara is definitely a keeper!! I'm a fan no matter who he plays for -- he does it right!!

• July 3, 2008

  11:02 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  jbowen43 writes:

  Kroenke Sports history isn't very good when it comes to keeping hard working fan favorites.

• July 3, 2008

  12:28 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Spider writes:

  If they let him get away, who will be the sparkpug off the bench?

• July 3, 2008

  5:31 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  BMat writes:

  This guy dives after loose balls, plays excellent weak side defense, always hustles and has never been arrested.

  What's more, like a lot of his latino compadres he does it all for a lot less money than some of his co-workers.

  So he's all wrong for the Nuggets . . .

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