In case his fate wasn’t already sealed heading into the offseason in Denver, it’s now official that longtime Nugget, Vlatko Cancar, won’t be back with the team next season. Vlatko was drafted by the Nuggets all the way back in 2017 with the 49th overall pick.
He came over to the NBA in 2019 and has bounced back and forth between Denver and the G-League ever since. Cancar has shown glimpses at times and played a solid bench role for the team along the way to the championship in 2023.
Unfortunately, he was never quite able to break through as a consistent rotation player, and he has been slowed by injuries all the while. Now, with his contract up, he’s reported to be leaving the NBA altogether and heading back overseas, where he’s expected to sign with Olimpia Milano in the LBA.
Cancar was 3rd-longest tenured Nugget
Believe it or not, Vlatko was the third-longest tenured player on the Nuggets, only outlasted by Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic. This marks the end of an era, and it’s a sad day for fans who have long believed in Cancar.
It always felt like if he just got a fair shake, he’d be able to carve out a role in the rotation as a big spacing wing with some funk to his game. But, sadly, it never materialized, and now, at age 28, Vlatko is headed to Italy.
No room in Nuggets’ loaded rotation for Vlatko
Perhaps if free agency had shaken out differently, the Ngugets would be looking at bringing Vlatko back on a minimum deal to see if he could finally carve out that bench role. But things have gone in a completely different direction with the team’s offseason.
With the additions of Cam Johnson, Bruce Brown, Jonas Valanciunas, and Tim Hardaway Jr., along with the return of DaRon Holmes from injury, the Nuggets’ rotation is suddenly very deep and crowded. Role players from last season like Peyton Watson, Julian Strawther, and Jalen Pickett are going to have to fight just to earn consistent minutes in the regular season.
There simply wasn’t room for Cancar on the team, and the time for growing pains is clearly over. The Nuggets are all in on contending for the title, and one of the unfortunate casualties is the loss of Vlatko Cancar, a 2023 NBA champion.