Jameer Nelson opted out of his contract with the Denver Nuggets to explore his options and become a free agent, but has decided to stay with the Nuggets.
From ESPN’s Marc Stein:
ESPN sources say Jameer Nelson has landed three-year, $13.5M from Denver, while Jokic (2014 second-rounder) gets four-year deal worth $5.5M
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 13, 2015
With this signing, it’s looking less and less likely that Ty Lawson will remain in Denver. It seems all but certain that Lawson’s gone. After Denver drafted point guard Emmanuel Mudiay, Lawson posted a video saying that he was “going to Sacramento.” Him going to the Kings now seems very unlikely of course, given their signing of Rajon Rondo.
Even if Lawson doesn’t go to Sacramento, it’s very unlikely he’ll remain in Denver. The Nuggets probably haven’t exactly been begging him to stay, as in the past 3 weeks they have drafted a young talented point guard, and signed a veteran backup point guard. It definitely seems like the team is preparing for Lawson’s departure.
$13.5 over 3 years is a good price for Nelson. He’s a capable veteran who can pass and shoot quite well. Also, the Nuggets are a very young team, and could use his veteran leadership in the locker room.
Nelson bounced around last season. He began the year with Dallas, but was traded to Boston in the Rajon Rondo deal. Boston then traded him to Denver.
In 34 games with Denver last year, Nelson averaged 9.6 points and 3.7 assists per game.
