The Nuggets were one of only two teams without a pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, but they were obviously chomping at the bit to add some young talent. Once the final picks were in, Denver’s new front office wasted no time at all, signing Tamar Bates out of Missouri to a two-way contract, Reyne Smith from Louisville to a Summer League deal, and Curtis Jones of Iowa State to an Exhibit 10 contract.
These players will all likely get a chance to play for the Nuggets in Summer League, with the possibility of earning training camp invitations, two-way contracts, or even standard contracts and a spot on the roster. More will be added to fill out the SL roster, but this first wave represents the Nuggets’ clear priorities.
In every press conference so far this offseason, Nuggets’ brass have emphasized the need for internal growth and winning on the margins. Nothing would epitomize those needs more than hitting big on the right undrafted free agents.
The chances of any of these players ever making the actual NBA roster are slim, but if Denver were able to find a diamond in the rough, that could be the type of hit that swings the entire rotation and brings the whole team together.
Nuggets struck gold with Trey Alexander last season
A perfect example of winning on the margins with undrafted free agents happened just last season when the Nuggets added Trey Alexander out of Creighton. Alexander lit it up at Summer League and earned himself a two-way contract with the Nuggets, where he played most of the season for the Grand Rapids Gold.
Alexander kept up his hot play with the Gold, winning the G-League Rookie of the Year Award and earning a spot on the All-NBA G League Third Team. In 30 games with the Gold, Alexander averaged 25.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.6 steals in 37.0 minutes per game, while shooting 46% from the floor, 40% from three, and 82% from the free throw line.
We’ll see how the rest of the offseason plays out, but with the loss of Russell Westbrook, the Nuggets have a need for guards off the bench, and Alexander should get a real chance to battle for minutes this season.
That’s one example, but it shows the opportunity that exists, both for the players and the team. This can be a very mutually beneficial arrangement, and if the Nuggets can develop any of these guys into rotation players in the future, that would be an enormous win for the organization.