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Fansided

14 Players the Denver Nuggets gave up on way too soon

By Tyler Watts

DENVER, CO - JANUARY 21: Carmelo Anthony #15 of the Denver Nuggets looks on during a break in the action against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Pepsi Center on January 21, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. The Lakers defeated the Nuggets 107-97. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - JANUARY 21: Carmelo Anthony #15 of the Denver Nuggets looks on during a break in the action against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Pepsi Center on January 21, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. The Lakers defeated the Nuggets 107-97. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /
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Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets, Dikembe Mutombo (Photo by Takashi Aoyama/Getty Images) /

2. Dikembe Mutombo

The Nuggets drafted Mutombo with the fourth overall pick in the 1991 NBA Draft, and he was an immediate force in the NBA. The 7’2 big man did not start playing basketball until he was 16 years old, but his size and shot-blocking ability made him stand out. Mutombo was an All-Star as a rookie where he averaged 16.6 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game.

He went on to be a three-time All-Star, Defensive Player of the Year, and lead the league in blocks three times in his five seasons in Denver. Mutombo became a free agent in 1996, and the elite big man was seeking a massive contract that exceed what the Nuggets were willing to pay.

The Hawks signed him to a five-year deal worth $55 million where he made four All-Star appearances, twice lead the league in rebounding, and won three Defensive Player of the Year awards. The 7’2 big man helped the Sixers reach the NBA Finals in 2001, and he played in the NBA for 13 years after leaving the Nuggets in 1996.

Dikembe Mutombo was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015, and he will go down as one of the best defensive big men in NBA history. The Denver Nuggets drafted him, but they missed out on multiple years of his prime because they were unwilling to exceed the Hawks’ offer in free agency.