The Denver Nuggets once snagged a backup point guard off the scrap heap named Erick Green. A decade later, Green's career has continued overseas and he has signed with a new team to continue balling out.
The 2012-13 Denver Nuggets had a magical season. Trading All-Star Carmelo Anthony for an entire lineup of players helped the franchise build an exceptionally deep team, with 12 capable rotation players. Add depth and pace to a mile-high altitude and the Nuggets steamrolled opponents to the tune of 57 wins.
Things went downhill from there, and as key members of that team began to find new homes over the next two seasons, the Nuggets' depth was eroded and their record spiraled to 36 wins the following season and just 30 in 2014-15.
That 30-win team had plenty of NBA players but no true stars. As injuries and trades churned up the roster, there was an opportunity for the Nuggets to give minutes to a couple of young players on the roster. Gary Harris and Jusuf Nurkic were first-round picks making their debut that season, and they were joined in that Denver rookie class by 6'4" point guard Erick Green.
Erick Green had his moment for the Nuggets
Erick Green grew up in central Virginia and attended Virginia Tech, where in his senior season he led the NCAA in scoring and was ACC Player of the Year. The Utah Jazz drafted Green with the 46th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft but immediately flipped his draft rights to the Denver Nuggets.
Denver brought Green in for Summer League, but in the years before the two-way contract was put into place it was not uncommon for second-round picks to languish on the vine instead of securing some sort of contract with their team. Green therefore spent a season overseas in Italy before officially joining the Nuggets a year later.
Green was far down the totem pole for the Nuggets but still found his way into 43 games, providing a score-first approach off the bench. He had a nasty handle and loads of confidence, but unfortunately for Green he couldn't actually put the ball in the basket. He shot just 37.7 percent from the field and 29.8 percent from deep in his rookie season.
Still, there were flashes with Green. He dropped 17 points and 7 assists in just 27 minutes of play in one late-season game against the Golden State Warriors. It was not unthinkable for Green to find a pathway to better efficiency and earn a spot in the league.
That chance never came around, however. The Nuggets waived him at the start of the next season, and he spent the next year in the NBA's D-League. He signed a pair of 10-day contracts for the Utah Jazz, but didn't make an impact.
From there, Green took his talents overseas and found real success. Green's inability to create separation and score efficiently in the NBA was much less of a hindrance in other leagues. He played a rotation role on Olympiacos in 2017 and they went all the way to the EuroLeague Final. He also spent time with Valencia and Fenerbahce, a pair of European powers.
His international travels have since continued. He has played in China, Spain, Turkey, Israel, Italy and Montenegro. He continues to be a score-first guard, which the European style often leans into. Most teams have such a player and Green has therefore found his niche.
This season he took his talented to Lebanon and signed with Sagesse Sports Club, where he joins former Penn State star Tony Carr in the backcourt. Together, the two hope to lead the club not only to domestic success but also tournament success in the Asia Super League.
Many Nuggets fans may not remember Erick Green. Diehard fans likely do. Now he has found yet another stamp on his passport as his basketball career continues.