For years, it has felt like the Nuggets’ front office has been making boneheaded decisions that offer the franchise little upside. Swinging at washed veterans like Reggie Jackson and Dario Saric, only to be forced to trade them shortly after, was depressing. Handing out ridiculous overpay contracts to Zeke Nnaji and Christian Braun was even worse.
Bungling the Peyton Watson situation felt like the final straw for this era of the roster in a lot of ways, and after the pathetic playoff exit in the first round, it seemed like major changes were coming. But all in all, that didn’t really happen.
Yes, the P-Wat saga was handled poorly, but otherwise, the Nuggets actually made the kind of moves fans have been calling for this offseason. They added a proven vet who fills a need in DeMar DeRozan on a cheap deal. They took upside swings on young athletes like Cam Whitmore and Alpha Diallo.
And now, they’ve done what seemed like a pipe dream and actually gone out and signed the freshly waived Ryan Nembhard. Nembhard is just 5’11”, but the undrafted second-year player made waves by setting the rookie assist record last season with 23 in one game and has clear upside after a great college career.
Nembhard signing is perfect lottery ticket type move
His brother is already a great NBA player for the Pacers, Andrew Nembhard, and though undersized, everything about Ryan screams that this is the kind of guy to bet on. And that’s exactly what the Nuggets did. The team is in desperate need of another point guard, and they pounced on Nembhard after he was traded and waived.
They’ll bring him in on a two-way contract, meaning there’s no impact on their payroll, and they get a look at a young guard who has already shown some real flashes in the NBA during his rookie season. It’s basically a lottery ticket that could end up becoming a meaningful part of the team’s future.
We’ve already seen them strike gold with Spencer Jones last season, and hitting another home run with Nembhard would be a massive boon for the franchise going forward. And if it doesn’t work out, that’s completely fine. There’s virtually no risk involved, aside from parting with KJ Simpson, and even if he never plays an NBA game for Denver, this move was well worth any limited risk or downside.
It’s less about the actual move and more about the type of move. We’ve seen a shift in the front office and the way they operate, and even if we don’t see things come to fruition this season, it’s a very promising sign going forward.
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