Does Beasley’s new agent mean trouble ahead?

Players don’t switch representation to one of the most influential agents in the NBA (Rich Paul) unless they’re trying to get paid. Heading into his fourth season, Beasley is early extension eligible until Oct. 21. Beasley sees himself as a starter, but there’s nowhere for him to start in Denver. That naturally creates a disconnect in terms of perceived value.

My assumption is that the Nuggets make their offer, maybe somewhere near an annual range of $10 million to $11 million, and Beasley then must decide whether that’s to his liking. If he thinks he can get more, he can play this season out as a relative gamble.

If they don’t reach an agreement, and the Nuggets sense that some team will offer him starter-level money in restricted free agency, a trade could very well happen. NBA teams are high on Beasley’s talent and are eager to see what that looks like as an everyday starter. Beasley is worth a first-round pick and could help the Nuggets replenish their cupboard after dealing their 2020 pick for Jerami Grant.

Hey Gregory, from my understanding, as of Tuesday, every player on the Nuggets roster was in Denver except for Juancho Hernangomez, and he’s expected to get here within the next few days. As far as I know, they don’t have any injuries to their primary rotation guys heading into training camp. What I will say is that I’d expect Nikola Jokic, in particular, and to a lesser degree Mason Plumlee and Hernangomez, to have a lighter load in Colorado Springs once camp opens. Those three logged more miles due to their World Cup obligations.

MPJ is as healthy as the Nuggets could’ve hoped for after drafting him in 2018, according to Nuggets president Tim Connelly, and has been practicing and scrimmaging daily. After waiting a year, the Nuggets want to “take the gloves off” their prized rookie. He won’t have any minutes restrictions, but team doctors will be monitoring him closely.

It’s important to remember that the coaches are just as eager to see him face real competition as both the fans and media. We’ll learn a lot about his durability, his stamina, his defense and his offensive arsenal as the preseason picks up. He’ll likely be the dominant storyline of camp.