Nuggets fans have been enamored with the idea of bringing Bruce Brown back to Denver ever since he was traded at the deadline. More recently, when Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was traded to the Grizzlies in the Desmond Bane deal, the idea of bringing KCP back to Denver came up as well.
But a different and less recent former Nugget actually became available as part of that deal. The Magic declined Gary Harris' team option, making him an unrestricted free agent this summer and paving the way for him to return to Denver, where his NBA career began.
Just In: The Orlando Magic have declined team options for Gary Harris ($7.5 million) and Cory Joseph ($3.47 million) for the 2025-26 season as part of the Desmond Bane trade, league sources told @hoopshype. pic.twitter.com/DmmUnPt3ai
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) June 17, 2025
Harris played the first seven years of his career with the Nuggets before being traded to the Magic at the 2021 trade deadline in the deal that brought Mr. Nugget Aaron Gordon to Denver. That will go down as one of the greatest trades in team history, as Gordon blossomed in Denver, helping the Nuggets win the first championship in franchise history in 2023.
But Harris was a solid Nugget for years, and he was a big part of the early years of the Nikola Jokic/Jamal Murray era. He averaged 12 points a game in seven seasons with the Nuggets. He shot the ball well from three, and he offered good perimeter defense.
Veteran Harris could be perfect role player in Denver
Harris wore out his welcome with some fans by the end of his time in Denver; he was good as a role player, but not so much in a more starring role. He had to go in order to properly empower Murray and Jokic, and the move obviously worked out.
But Harris is now about to turn 31 years old, he's set to enter his 12th season in the NBA, and he's likely looking at a minimum contract and bench role. That sounds like exactly what the Nuggets are looking for and how great would it be to see Gary come back as a veteran leader off the bench?
He could provide solid defense and shooting, with a splash of ballhandling and playmaking mixed in. Harris was mostly out of the rotation last season in Orlando, so expectations should be tempered, but he can still play.
The fact that he already has some experience playing with some of these guys, especially Jokic and Murray is just a huge boost for a team that's looking to hit the ground running next season. Harris is exactly the kind of player the Nuggets should be looking and if he's open to a return to the Nuggets, the team should already be on the phone to get a deal done.