Nuggets Rumors: Micic interest, Avramovic to NBA, Kerr out for Team USA

Currently mired in the doldrums of the NBA offseason, the rumor mill has significantly quieted. Most impactful free agents have signed and most teams have filled their rosters. There will always be trade speculation, but beyond that, rumors have certainly lessened.

But luckily for basketball fans, the 2024 Olympics provided a nice distraction from the lack of rumors and news. Some great basketball was played in Paris, and now there are fresh rumors and plenty of fallout from the games since they ended in early August, with some concerning the Nuggets.

Nuggets reportedly interested in Jokic’s Serbian teammate, Vasilije Micic

Fans have been connecting the dots and calling for this to happen since before Micic even came over to the NBA last season, but now there is some actual reported interest. Marc Stein pegged Micic as a “potential down-the-road trade target for Denver given Micic's close relationship with Nuggets star Nikola Jokić.”

The Nuggets would need to match Micic’s $7.7 million salary to make a deal work, but could easily send Zeke Nnaji to Charlotte if the Hornets are interested in the 23-year-old forward. It would be fun to see the two Serbian friends making magic together on an NBA court and it can’t hurt to try and appease the franchise superstar by adding his buddy.

Breakout Olympic star Aleksa Avramovic drawing NBA interest

One of the stars of the Olympics was another Jokic teammate, guard Aleksa Avramovic. The Serbian played great defense and showed knockdown three-point shooting ability. He’s about to turn 30 and has never played in the NBA, but according to Sam Amico, the Clippers and Hawks have shown interest in signing him away from CSKA Moscow.

The fact that he has made his way onto the radar of NBA teams suggests that pairing him with Jokic in Denver may not be a crazy thought. The Nuggets would need to create a roster spot, but if they are willing to eat some money, they could cut a player at the end of the bench and make a play for Avramovic.

Steve Kerr reportedly done as coach of Team USA

The final bit of relevant Olympic news was that Steve Kerr will reportedly no longer be the coach of Team USA going forward. Kerr led the team to gold in Paris, but not without some close calls and questionable decisions along the way.

Ty Lue and Erik Spoelstra are said to be the frontrunners for the job and may look to build the team a little differently. While the Nuggets didn’t send any American players to Paris, they could have some candidates by 2028 with either veteran role players like Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon, or a young breakout star like Peyton Watson, Julian Strawther, or Christian Braun. Who knows, it could be somebody who isn’t even on the Nuggets yet.