Nuggets to keep big man Plumlee
Mason Plumlee arrived in Denver during the dead of winter without a fireplace. When he was traded from the Portland Trail Blazers in February, he made his residence in hotels, both at home and on the road.
All the while Plumlee, and the Nuggets’ front office, wanted to make Denver his permanent home. The 6-foot-11 big man, who spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, agreed Monday to a multiyear contract, a move Plumlee confirmed in a letter to fans on his website.
The deal is $41 million over three years, according to an ESPN report. The Nuggets have yet to officially announce the deal.
“I am thrilled to be a Denver Nugget,” wrote Plumlee, who will be beginning his fifth NBA season when the Nuggets open training camp Sept. 26 in Boulder. “I am grateful that we got a deal done and excited for the challenge of the season to come. I meant what I said when I was traded here last year. This is an exciting, talented young team with a bunch of highcharacter guys, and I’ve always admired the loyalty and dedication of Nuggets fans. With some of the big additions this summer and another year of experience for the young guns, I believe this team can compete with anyone in the league.”
By signing Plumlee, the Nuggets have secured their backup center behind 6-10 Nikola Jokic, who last season finished second in the voting for most improved player and was recently ranked the No. 16 player in the NBA by ESPN.
Plumlee was acquired by the Nuggets before last season’s trade deadline in a deal that sent center Jusuf Nurkic and one of Denver’s two 2017 first-round picks to Portland.
“He’s here for the long term,” Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said. “The deal was done for years moving forward. We think having his restricted rights, having the ability to get to know him, him getting to know us is important.”
Plumlee averaged 9.1 points, 6.4
“If I want you to know anything about me, it’s that I will do whatever it takes to win basketball games, and I will expect the same of my teammates” Nuggets’ center Mason Plumlee
rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.1 blocks and 23.4 minutes in 27 games last season, including 10 starts. He shot 54.7 percent from the field. The Nuggets value Plumlee’s ability to be a facilitator from the center position, creating what they believe will be a seamless transition as it relates to playing style when he replaces Jokic.
“If I want you to know anything about me, it’s that I will do whatever it takes to win basketball games, and I will expect the same of my teammates,” Plumlee wrote.
Plumlee was a restricted free agent this summer, meaning another team could have signed him to an offer sheet and the Nuggets would have had the opportunity to match. No reports of Plumlee signing an offer sheet emerged over the summer. But Connelly said all along, beginning the day after making the trade, that the Nuggets planned to agree to a long-term deal with their new center.
With one month until the season begins, the Nuggets have done just that.
“Oct. 18 is just around the corner, and we’ve got some big things to play for this year,” Plumlee wrote of the Nuggets’ regularseason opener at Utah. “Talk soon and thanks for all of your support.”