Chauncey Billups Isn’t Interested In Playing For Nuggets

Chauncey Billups was in Denver this week preparing for his annual basketball camp and recently talked with Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post about his injury and his playing future. Billups played 20 games for the Los Angeles Clippers last season before tearing his Achilles tendon, which ended his season. Billups, who is a free agent this offseason, told Dempsey that he has no interest in playing for the Nuggets.

"I’ll say this: Me and (team president) Josh (Kroenke) are cool. I’m good with everybody. But I can’t see me, basketball-wise, playing in Denver again. What do you want me to do? They traded me two times. Want me to give them a third opportunity? My years there were great. We accomplished some great things. And they are looking good. … I had some great years there, and I’m always going to live there, but I can’t see that."

The former CU star said he is ahead of schedule with his rehab and believes he can be ready to go for training camp, instead of January 2013, which was his projected recovery time. Billups was apart of the Carmelo Anthony trade in 2011 and was also dealt by Denver to Orlando in 2000. He later told 102.3 ESPN that he wouldn’t mind being a part of Denver’s Front Office one day.

"I would love to come home and have the opportunity to work with Denver, but as a player, I’m over that."

Ironically, those were similar feelings f former Nuggets power forward Antonio McDyess, who was twice dealt by Denver, and was part of the deal that brought Billups to the Nuggets in 2009.