After long delay, Nuggets make signing of former All-Star official

There have been plenty of rumors about the Nuggets and veteran players they may sign this offseason. Most of the buzz has been centered around Russell Westbrook who was recently traded and subsequently waived by the Jazz. Russ has cleared waivers, but yet there’s still no movement on that front with the Nuggets or any other teams.

But one of the first deals that was reported this offseason was finally made official on Wednesday, and that’s DeAndre Jordan returning to the Denver Nuggets on a veteran minimum contract. 

DeAndre Jordan officially returning to the Denver Nuggets

Jordan has been a great center in the NBA, peaking with a first-team All-NBA selection in 2017 with the Clippers, but his best days are long behind him. At this point, the 34-year-old Jordan is more of a veteran leader than anything else. He’s been a great voice in the locker room and a big help for some of the young Nuggets.

But the thought of Jordan getting playing time is not one Nuggets fans should be envisioning. Jordan seems to be transitioning into somewhat of a Udonis Haslem-type role in Denver, acting as a sort of ambassador for the team and a coach with a unique perspective.

Is Jordan a waste of a roster spot for the Nuggets?

In a way, it’s disappointing to see the Nuggets, a team desperate for bench help and depth, squandering a roster spot on a player that is no longer playable. But on the other hand, no team goes 15-deep and the Nuggets did a fine job addressing their depth at center behind Nikola Jokic already this offseason by adding Dario Saric in free agency.

So, it can’t hurt to have a steady veteran leader that the players all seem to like. The team preaches things like continuity and chemistry all the time, and this is a pretty easy way to practice what they preach.

Ultimately, if Jordan is on the floor this season, either the game is a massive blowout, or something has gone horribly wrong. Otherwise, DAJ should be pinned to the end of the Nuggets bench and hopefully keeping the vibes as positive as possible at all times.