By Jordan Long
Small forward Richard Jefferson will be a free agent after he clears waivers today at 5 p.m. Jefferson was traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. The Hawks decided to waive him. One of the teams interested in his services are the Denver Nuggets.
Jefferson, a veteran player, could help mentor this young Nuggets team. He is not in his prime, but can still play meaningful minutes off the bench. Last year with Cleveland, he averaged 20.4 minutes in 79 games, while scoring 5.7 points per game. The Nuggets need him because they lack depth at the small forward position. The only small forwards on the team are Wilson Chandler and Will Barton.
Jefferson might pick the Nuggets because of his friendship with Nuggets’ President and Governor Josh Kroenke. The Nuggets are also in a position to make a playoff run this season in the Western Conference. This might peak the interest of Jefferson.
The problem with Jefferson is he is past his prime. He is 37 years old and is only a bench player at this point of his career. The Nuggets are better off letting him sign elsewhere. Jefferson may not play that much for Denver this season. The Nuggets have 15 guaranteed contracts for the season which is the maximum an NBA team can have. In order for Denver to sign him, they need to make a roster move.
Milwaukee is making a push to land him. Denver should start the season with the current roster. If they don’t like a position, then make a transaction. At this point, agreeing to a contract for Richard Jefferson is not the move they need to make.
What do you think of the Denver Nuggets interest in Richard Jefferson? Should the Denver Nuggets consider agreeing to a contract with him?
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