The Denver Nuggets are sending Vanderbilt to the G-League where he will play for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Because the Nuggets have a very deep roster, there simply aren’t enough minutes to go around. Jarred Vanderbilt has been stuck in that spot to begin the year as he’s appeared in just three games for a total of nine minutes.

Sending Vanderbilt down to the G-League should help him continue to develop by playing significant minutes. While practicing and working with the Nuggets coaches on a daily basis is helping Vanderbilt develop, now he will receive that consistent game action that he hasn’t yet found this season.

In the limited chances Vanderbilt has played — especially last season — he flashed potential as a phenomenal rebounder who can make plays with the ball in his hands. During his lone season at Kentucky, Vanderbilt averaged 7.9 rebounds in just 17 minutes per game, an insane rebounding rate at any level.

In the G-League last season, Vanderbilt appeared in four games with the Delaware Blue Coats in which he averaged 7.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game. Vanderbilt continued to improve those numbers during summer league, where he averaged 11.8 points and 11.3 rebounds in four games in Las Vegas.

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With the Nuggets sending Vanderbilt to the G-League, they now have four players in the G-League on three separate teams. Vlatko Cancar is currently playing for the Erie Bayhawks, while PJ Dozier and Bol Bol and suiting up for the Windy City Bulls.

Denver is still just one of two teams (Portland Trail Blazers being the other) in the NBA without a G-League team. All of this moving around with players going to different teams is difficult to stomach for a franchise that has so many young players with potential. Hopefully, the Nuggets can resolve this issue sooner rather than later, because they could thrive with a team in the G-League.

As for Vanderbilt, his first G-League game will likely come on Friday night when the Vipers play the Stockton Kings. Tip-off for that game is set for 6:30 pm MDT.