Nuggets make splash hire out of left field, add newspaper reporter to staff

Beyond the Jamal Murray contract extension, there hasn’t been much news surrounding the Nuggets in the past weeks. The roster appears to be set at this point and any further player movement will probably come via trade during the season.

But the team isn’t done adding to their staff and front office as they made a series of hires on Tuesday. Most of the new hires are fairly pedestrian and don’t really move the needle in the public eye. But there was one fairly eye-catching move.

Nuggets hire former Denver Post reporter Mike Singer

Mike Singer has covered the Nuggets for the Denver Post for years. He’s been one of the most reliable and reputable reporters covering the team for a long time. He recently published a book telling the inside story of Nikola Jokic.

Singer’s book included some great insight into Jokic’s life and the people around him. He has always been plugged into the team and has shown a great understanding of all things NBA and Nuggets.

Obviously, the team has seen Singer’s wisdom displayed firsthand and after all this time around him, they must think there is more than meets the eye. The Nuggets have hired Singer to be the team’s new Director of Intelligence and Strategy.

Good to see the Nuggets thinking outside the box

This is an unconventional hire, of course; adding a newspaper journalist to the front office. But this is the kind of forward-thinking move that can spark a franchise and keep them ahead of the 8-ball. The Nuggets have been a team that is run fairly conventionally, but it’s time for change and to move into the future.

There were rumblings this offseason of a rift between head coach Michael Malone and GM Calvin Booth. Bringing in an outside voice to add to the conversation can hopefully help everyone get on the same page and create a clear vision for the team moving forward.

This might be the last we ever hear of this move and it may not make any real impact - at least that’s visible to the fans. But it’s still good to see the front office is open to taking some chances and trying new things.

In other news, the Nuggets replaced Drew Nicholas by hiring Todd Checovich as the new director of scouting. And the team also added Morgan Montgomery as Director of Player Services.