Oct 21, 2014; Boulder, CO, USA; Portland Trailblazers center Robin Lopez (left) shoots the ball over Denver Nuggets center Timofey Mozgov (25) during the first half at the Coors Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Timofey Mozgov had been the subject of many trade rumors involving teams such as the Cleveland Cavaliers during the offseason but the Nuggets were never offered a package they felt was fair in return. It appears that they will be holding onto Mozgov at least for next season as Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post reported earlier today that the Nuggets intend to pick up Mozgov’s 2015-2016 option for $4.95 Million after this season. There is no hurry to pick up the option now as it is not required until after the completion of the 2014-2015 season but the Nuggets are making it clear early on that the improvement Mozzy has shown the past 2 years is worth keeping on the roster.
He has shown steady improvement in all aspects of his game and even though the Nuggets have other realistic options at center, Mozzy has been the most consistent performer at that position for the past 2 seasons. The other thing that makes this a good move is that even though the Nuggets will be at or near the salary cap with players currently under contract for next year, they can use the NBA’s “Mid-Level Exception” and not use any additional cap space to pick up the option.
As JaVale McGee gets healthier and Jusef Nurkic continues to gain NBA experience, the Nuggets Center position seems to be well manned for the next couple of years.