Veteran center Mason Plumlee’s tenure with the Denver Nuggets is officially over.
After spending his first seven seasons with the Brooklyn Nets, Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets, veteran center Mason Plumlee has joined his fourth franchise, agreeing to sign a contract with the Detroit Pistons.
This report comes from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who notes that Plumlee’s is worth $25 million over three years.
Free agent center Mason Plumlee has agreed to a three-year, $25M deal with the Detroit Pistons, his agent Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 20, 2020
Plumlee hadn’t been mentioned as a priority free agent from the Nuggets but it’s mildly surprising that he reached an agreement with another team so quickly. Shortly before announcing Plumlee’s deal, Wojnarowski even noted that it isn’t an “easy free agent market for centers.”
On the one hand, the move could have been more financially motivating than anything, as it was difficult to picture Denver paying him anywhere close to the $41 million they gave him in 2017. However, the Nuggets could also have other plans in mind regarding their backup center, selecting athletic big man Zeke Nnaji in the first-round of the 2020 NBA Draft and seeing plenty of promise in 7’2″ center Bol Bol.
Regardless of Denver’s plans for Nnaji and Bol, they would undoubtedly feel more comfortable with a veteran center on the roster.
That said, look for news of the Nuggets adding a more experienced pivot as free agency progresses.
Plumlee averaged 7.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.9 blocks and 0.7 steals per game with the Nuggets, shooting 59.3% from the field.