It appears that the Denver Nuggets will have some veteran leadership to lean upon next season.
According to Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report, Nuggets center DeAndre Jordan is expected to return to the team on a one-year deal.
Free agent center DeAndre Jordan intends to re-sign with the Denver Nuggets on a one-year, $3.6M deal, league sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport. pic.twitter.com/8TnsgM7hsK
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 30, 2024
Jordan (35) will reportedly return for his 17th NBA season, bringing championship experience, veteran savviness, and a locker room presence to the Nuggets organization. Jordan was initially signed to the Nuggets roster in the 2022 offseason to several complaints, but his presence on the team went beyond basketball on the court. Veterans like Jordan, Jeff Green, and Ish Smith were essential to the Nuggets throughout their playoff run and were continuously credited by head coach Michael Malone.
On the court, Jordan’s consistent contributions are mostly behind him, having played just 36 games and averaging 11.0 minutes per game in the 2023-24 season. Jordan played just two playoff games, and while he had some nice moments for the team throughout the year, this is a spot on the roster where the Nuggets aren’t expecting a ton of contributions in games.
And yet, the Nuggets felt Jordan’s presence was valuable to them, and it’s understandable. With so many young players on the roster, having a veteran like Jordan to show them the ropes, guide them through precarious situations, and impart wisdom will help the entire team. Rookie DaRon Holmes in particular is someone to watch, and I bet Jordan will take him under his wing and help guide him through the season. Jordan is also a valuable veteran for guys like Nikola Jokić, who needs someone like DeAndre to help share the burden of the world.
The Nuggets now have 12 players on their roster at this moment and roughly $172.5 million in committed salary. There are three roster spots left — unless the Nuggets make another trade — and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is still out there. Expect Denver to focus on retaining him before turning to Vlatko Čančar and Justin Holiday next.