The point guard position is pivotal in today’s NBA, and while the Nuggets drafted their point guard of the future, they need to figure out what to do at that position for this upcoming season. Currently Denver has Ty Lawson on the roster, but they still have decisions to make regarding his future with the team. Those decisions have a direct impact on whether or not they will be able to retain veteran guard, Jammer Nelson or if they want to try and keep Erick Green who is on a non-gauranteed contract.
Nelson has already opted out of the final year of his contract to become a free agent, but has not shut the door on a possible return to the Nuggets. Playing time will be a big factor in determining where he ultimately decides to play.
“Whatever I decide, I’ll definitely discuss with that team what my role would be,” Nelson told the Denver Post. “I feel like I’m definitely more than a 15- or 18-minute guy, for sure.”
Lawson has been the center point of many trade rumors after the Nuggets selected Emmanuel Mudiay, and even expected to be shipped to Sacramento following the pick. With Nelson pinning for a bigger role, it wouldn’t make sense to employ both he and Lawson to go along with Mudiay.
Since the free agent season opened on Wednesday there has already been a deal that was struck that could have an impact on the Nuggets’ ability to move Lawson. The Miami Heat re-signed Goran Dragic to a 5-year $90 million deal. Last season Dragic averaged 16.3 points and 4.5 assists per game with a Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of 17.47. Lawson averaged 15.2 points, 9.6 assists and had a PER of 18.50. Lawson is under contract for two more years, and is owed roughly $25 million during that time.
With the salary cap expected to skyrocket after next season, Lawson could have a very favorable deal considering on court production compared to guys like Dragic. However, his off the court antics have proved to be more detrimental to the team’s efforts to make a trade.
When looking at these two guards, a source in the front office of another NBA team confirmed that while Lawson appears to be on his way out, moving him may not be easy.
“He’s pretty much out the door, but Ty isn’t really helping his image off the court. The sense around the league is that the Denver locker room is full of a*******.”
If the Nuggets are unable to move Lawson quickly, Nelson will more than likely be out of the picture. As of now, the team has not been linked to any other free agent guards.
Newly hired head coach Michael Malone stated at his introductory press conference that the roster would be different come training camp. With the point guard position, there is still plenty of uncertainty.
