Veteran forward JaMychal Green had been on the Nuggets’ radar long before that first hectic night of free agency two weeks ago.
And they were fans of his well before Green’s Clippers blew a 3-1 lead to Denver in the second round of last season’s playoffs.
Green, who signed a 2-year, $15 million deal with the Nuggets less than two weeks ago, said he was “very close” to signing in Denver last offseason before he decided to return to Los Angeles.
“I always kept that in the back of my mind so me and coach Malone, we always kept a relationship throughout the season,” Green said at his introductory news conference Tuesday. “Just felt like it was the right decision to come here.”
There were numerous aspects of playing with Denver that appealed to Green in the wake of the Clippers’ playoff implosion. Green said he appreciated Denver’s unselfish style of play, recognized their young talent and noticed their tenacity when the Clippers were up 3-1 on them.
“Blowing a 3-1 lead, they just fought,” Green said. “It just showed you the type of heart they had.”
That’s perhaps a nod to the Nuggets’ ethos as much as it is an indictment on the Clippers’ DNA. Green also said he liked Malone’s approach to coaching in that he empowers his players.
“It’s not like a green light (to shoot), but you go out there comfortable,” he said.
But aside from his toughness and 3-point shooting, both appealing traits as the Nuggets try to prove their staying power among the West elite, Green wanted to be in Denver. And following the Jerami Grant mess – which saw the versatile forward bypass the same money to sign with Detroit – that was important.
“A guy like JaMychal Green, who we have looked at in the past, decided to come and be a Denver Nugget,” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone. “We are thrilled about that.”
At some point amid negotiations with Grant, the Nuggets looked internally and reached a conclusion. If Grant was unhappy sacrificing his role despite a chance for a title and while making the same amount of money, perhaps the Nuggets were better off without him.
From that perspective, the Green signing makes even more sense. Green had interest from teams like the Clippers, Lakers, Spurs, Bucks and 76ers, among several others, according to a league source. Winning was important to him.
“I always wanted to go to a team that was a contender and that’s going to compete, that was going to win,” Green said. “Pretty much every team that was coming to me was mostly a playoff team. It really wasn’t a hard decision.”
Green has already projected a willingness to play any role the Nuggets want him to. That’s a mindset Grant grappled with during his one season in Denver. Grant, who backed up Paul Millsap the entire regular season, felt coming off the bench was a personal sacrifice, according to a league source. It’s part of the reason he coveted a bigger role in Detroit — a team that is also less likely to compete for a championship.
With Denver, Green knows he’s in a place to contend. It’s why he’ll fill whatever role Malone finds for him.
“Being in the starting lineup doesn’t mean anything to me,” Green said. “I just want my minutes. I want to be out there to help compete, help to get the win. Starting or finishing the game … I just want to be out there and just do my role.”
And the Nuggets are more than happy to have him.
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