The Denver Nuggets finalized their roster for Las Vegas Summer League this year, and it includes many of the players Denver selected in the past three years of the NBA Draft.
Juancho Hernangomez, Malik Beasley, and Tyler Lydon will headline the team competing in Las Vegas starting on July 7th.
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Hernangomez played in 62 games for the Nuggets this past season, averaging 4.9 points and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 40.7% from behind the 3-point line. He is considered a big part of the Nuggets’ rebuild and a member of the group of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Gary Harris as players the Nuggets want to build around.
Beasley played in just 22 games this season and spent most of his rookie season moving between the NBA and the D-League (now the G-League). Beasley was unable to participate in last year’s Summer League while recovering from a major leg injury, but he should now be at full strength and ready to contribute.
Lydon, the 24th pick in the 2017 Draft, will likely start next to Hernangomez at one of the forward spots. Lydon starred for the Syracuse Orange last year and shot nearly 40% from behind the 3-point line during his career there. He also performed adequately as a rebounder and weak side shot blocker, and the Nuggets are hoping the same skills will translate to the NBA level.
Among other players, big man Petr Cornelie is making a return to Summer League after playing last year. He spent the season in France, and he will do his best to wow the Nuggets in the hope of bringing him over to the Nuggets roster this year. Nikola Radicevic was drafted in the second round of 2015, and this will be the first experience in the states playing basketball for the guard prospect.
Monte Morris is this year’s second round pick and probably the most intriguing selection the Nuggets made on draft night. The point guard from Iowa State played 140 games in college and holds the record for best Assist-to-Turnover ratio in NCAA history. Analytics love him, and if he’s more ready than anticipated, he could make a serious run at playing time as soon as this year due to the Nuggets’ dreadful point guard rotation.
Las Vegas Summer League kicks off Friday, July 7th this year, and the Nuggets will play in one of the first games of the tournament against the Houston Rockets.
