Denver Nuggets

Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon revealed that head coach Steve Kerr offered him a spot on the U.S. men's basketball team in the Summer Olympics following a win over the Golden State Warriors during the 2023-24 season.

The discussion might have occurred after Gordon dropped a season-high 30 points in a 130-127 win against the Warriors on Jan. 4.

The 29-year-old acknowledged that the question may have been rhetorical, as it would have been difficult to crack the star-studded lineup that won gold in the Paris Olympics. Still, he's using it as motivation to compete for a role on the U.S. team during the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

Kerr also doesn't have the final say in Olympic roster construction, as Team USA managing director Grant Hill selects the 12-player squad. However, Gordon is already on Hill's radar.

The former No. 4 overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft was one of the 41 finalists for the 2024 Olympic team.

There should be several spots on the United States' roster up for grabs entering the 2028 Games, as aging superstars such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry likely won't be returning.

While Gordon may not possess the scoring prowess that typically results in Olympic consideration, he could earn a spot due to his defensive acumen as well as his ability to remain effective without the ball in his hands.

In 73 starts during the 2023-24 season, Gordon averaged 13.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 55.6 percent from the field.

Team USA's rosters have typically featured multiple elite role players, as Boston Celtics guard Derrick White earned a spot on the Paris Olympics roster. During the Tokyo Games, the United States squad contained veteran center JaVale McGee and defensive-minded forward Jerami Grant. Neither player has an All-Star appearance.

In fact, Grant served as the Nuggets' power forward next to three-time MVP Nikola Jokić in the season prior to Gordon's arrival.

Although he'll be 32 years old by the time the Los Angeles Olympics start, Gordon could earn consideration for the international roster once again if he's able to remain an important piece of a championship contender.

Russell Westbrook says he is "grateful" to get the chance to play with reigning MVP Nikola Jokić when joining the Denver Nuggets this fall.

"To be on the floor with him is a grateful honor, and I'm grateful for that," Westbrook told reporters on Thursday. "He does so many different things on the floor that allows other people to be great, and I'm just happy to be a part, and not playing against him, or scouting against him, and I'm able to see his greatness up close, and see the things he's able to do."

Westbrook added: "This team has always been at the top of the Western Conference, always contending. They play the right brand of basketball."

Jokić similarly shared excitement about the Nuggets' decision to ink Westbrook to a two-year veteran minimum contract this summer.

"I know who he is a little bit, outside of the court," Jokić said. "Great teammate. Work hard. Leadership... I think he's a great, great player for us, and I think he's going to bring all the good stuff."

Westbrook, who spent the 2023-24 season as a sixth man for the Los Angeles Clippers, is likely to back up point guard Jamal Murray this fall.

When asked what it was like to scout Jokić as an opponent, Westbrook told reporters, "You just hope that he misses. There's nothing you can do... you want to be able to be on the team with somebody that's literally unguardable."

Westbrook averaged 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 68 appearances and 11 starts during his 16th NBA season.

He began the 2023-24 campaign as a starter before sliding into a bench role following the team's addition of star point guard James Harden.

Clippers head coach Ty Lue initially said Westbrook's new role, which marked his first time as a reserves player since his rookie 2008-09 season, would require some "adjustment."

By the time the postseason rolled around, Westbrook appeared to be embracing his new role. He told reporters (h/t ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk) that there "ain't nobody better than me coming off the bench in this league" ahead of the Clippers' six-game first-round loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

After being signed and traded to the Utah Jazz and waived into free agency, Westbrook is set to embrace that role once more in Denver, although there is a chance he could step up to start on the first unit alongside Jokić should Murray miss significant time due to injury for a sixth straight season.

While serving as backup, however, Westbrook said his job will be "to push Jamal to be the best he can be."

Westbrook signed his two-year, $6.8 million deal with the Nuggets, which includes a player option for the 2025-26 season, to help Denver fill out some of the guard depth lost with the departures of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Jackson.

If Murray can remain healthy and Westbrook can thrive in a protected role, the two could potentially help Jokić and the Nuggets recover from last year's disappointing second-round exit and make a deeper postseason run next spring.

Russell Westbrook no longer plays for the Los Angeles Lakers or Clippers, but he is still giving back to the Southern California community.

Westbrook unveiled the new Westbrook Academy campus in South Gate, California, on Monday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a speech. The nine-time All-Star partnered with his wife Nina, business partner Donnell Beverly and the LA Promise Fund to found the academy that delivers education to students in grades 6-12 in South and Southeast Los Angeles.

The expanded campus and new educational facility has a film studio, science labs, two wellness centers and a student lounge in addition to the classrooms.

The Westbrooks and Beverly partnered with the LA Promise Fund to initially launch the Westbrook Academy in 2021.

A number of current and former NBA players reacted to Westbrook's Instagram post about the event, including Jalen Rose, Victor Oladipo and Carlos Boozer, among others. What's more, Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Trae Young were among those who liked the post.

The future Hall of Famer played in Los Angeles the last three seasons for the Lakers and Clippers, but he signed with the Denver Nuggets this offseason.

About the only thing missing from a resume that includes the 2016-17 MVP, two scoring titles, nine All-NBA selections and three assist titles is a championship, and he is surely looking to change that by pairing up with Nikola Jokić and Co.

And he will have an entire academy cheering for him as he attempts to win that Larry O'Brien Trophy.

After leaked photos of the Denver Nuggets' reported City Edition jerseys surfaced on social media this week, the team hinted that those leaks could be accurate.

The Nuggets posted a close-up photo of a jersey similar to the ones leaked, captioning the picture "Reports might be true."

Here's a look at the leaked photos of the full uniform, which have similar details to the jerseys posted by the Nuggets.

The Nuggets' 2023-24 City Edition uniforms paid homage to the Rocky Mountains while highlighting the 5,280-foot elevation at Ball Arena, which is the highest of any arena in the league.

The new uniforms still feature the mountains and elevation, but take a different approach to the color scheme. This year's uniforms seem to have a rainbow color scheme, which could be a nod to Denver's jerseys from the 1980s and 90s.

Along with the Nuggets' uniforms, the rest of the 2024-25 City Edition jerseys surfaced on social media earlier this week, though no team has officially confirmed if the leaks are real.

Since the introduction of City Edition uniforms in 2016, each team has gotten unique jerseys to represent its city every year. This year's City Edition uniforms will officially be revealed later this year, and fans will be able to represent their favorite team and their city.

New Balance, in conjunction with Denver Nuggets star guard Jamal Murray, announced the upcoming drop of the TWO WXY v5 sneaker on Thursday.

In a press release, New Balance divulged that the TWO WXY v5 will maintain the "FuelCell and Fresh Foam technology" introduced in the v4, while also introducing a "combination midsole with FuelCell for responsive energy return and Fresh Foam X at the heel and ball of the foot for impact protection."

The shoe will drop Friday on New Balance's website at a price point of $120, and it will include two distinct colorways.

The "Bullseye" colorway is black with red, yellow, sky blue and white accents, while "Ultra Pink" is pink with purple accents:

New Balance added that multiple New Balance-sponsored basketball players will wear the v5 during the upcoming season, including Murray, New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray, Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith and forward Darius Bazley, who recently signed to play professionally in the Chinese Basketball Association.

Murray, 27, is set to enter his eighth NBA season, all of which have been spent in Denver.

He was a key part of the Nuggets' NBA championship team in 2023, and he is coming off the most productive campaign of his career as well.

In 59 games last season, Murray averaged a career-high 21.2 points and 6.5 assists per contest for a Nuggets team that tied for the best record in the Western Conference at 57-25.

Murray and the Nuggets will get their 2024-25 regular-season slate underway on Oct. 24 when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Denver Nuggets and guard Jamal Murray have agreed to a four-year, $208 million extension, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Bobby Marks of ESPN also provided the year-to-year details.

Before the extension, Murray was entering the final year of a deal paying him $36 million in 2024-25. The contract has no effect on the Nuggets' 2024-25 cap situation.

Per Spotrac, Denver has $194,648,921 in total cap allocations committed to this year's books. A total of $183,774,315 counts toward the tax aprons.

The Nuggets are past the first tax apron but under the second apron. They are set to pay a tax bill of $20,356,999.

The big question right now is the 2025-26 season, especially with Aaron Gordon being a free agent. As Marks noted, the team is going to pay luxury tax and be above the first apron even with Gordon off the books. A total of $140 million is committed to Nikola Jokić, Michael Porter Jr. and Murray alone.

For now, though, Denver has answered a big piece of the puzzle in agreeing to an extension with Murray, a core piece of the team that won the 2022-23 NBA title.

Murray, who turns 28 next February, averaged 21.2 points, shot 42.5 percent from three and posted 6.5 assists last year. He and the Nuggets open this regular season on Oct. 24 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Jamal Murray is going to be with the Denver Nuggets for a long time to come after the two sides agreed to a new deal on Saturday.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Murray will sign an four-year, $208 million extension that keeps him under contract to the Nuggets through the 2028-29 season.

Murray has been eligible to sign an extension since the end of the 2023-24 season. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported on June 27 he was "working toward" a max contract.

Time passed without any word of an agreement, prompting Murray and the Nuggets to address the situation. The star point guard told reporters on July 11 he wasn't focused on the contract while preparing to play for Canada in the Olympics.

Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth went on SiriusXM NBA Radio a few days later to say they were "very interested" in extending Murray, but they were going to let him get through the Olympics before sitting down together.

The Nuggets had a disappointing offseason with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope leaving as a free agent to sign with the Orlando Magic. Retaining him likely would have put them in the second tax apron, thereby limiting their flexibility to add to the roster.

Caldwell-Pope was a valuable contributor to the team as a 3-and-D wing who fit well in an offense led by Murray and Nikola Jokić. He certainly wasn't as important to the team as Murray, so if they had to prioritize someone, it was going to be the latter.

Murray is arguably the best player in the NBA who has never made an All-Star team. He has averaged at least 20 points per game in each of his last three seasons played. The Kentucky alum set career-highs in assists (6.5) and three-point percentage (42.5) in 59 starts last season.

For a Nuggets team that is still trying to compete for championships every year with Jokić, the reigning NBA MVP still in the prime of his career, keeping Murray to play with him as arguably the best duo in the league was an easy call.

Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone may not be on the same page as the organization heading into the 2024-25 season.

"There are rumblings," ESPN's Zach Lowe said on his Lowe Post podcast this week (h/t RealGM). "Rumblings! That the coaching staff and front office, or at least the head coach and the front office, aren't exactly seeing eye to eye in Denver. To a degree even unusual for the NBA."

Perhaps Malone isn't thrilled that the Nuggets let Kentavious Caldwell-Pope walk in free agency, a key role player for the team who provided solid defense and perimeter shooting (40.6 percent from three last season) around the core group of Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon.

The Nuggets also didn't do much to replace him, with Russell Westbrook—who will serve as the backup point guard—as the team's biggest offseason addition. That means the less-proven Christian Braun is expected to slot into the starting lineup, and Denver's depth in general feels like a potential issue.

Even with Caldwell-Pope's departure, Denver has one of the best starting lineups in basketball. But beyond that, the talent quickly drops off, and it could hamper the team as it seeks to remain a title contender.

Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon will wear No. 32 this season in honor of his late brother, Drew Gordon.

Gordon revealed the change Friday on Instagram in a video that showed him ripping open his No. 50 jersey to reveal the new number.

Drew Gordon died in a car accident at age 33 in May. He wore No. 32 while playing college basketball for New Mexico.

He averaged 10.8 rebounds per game through two seasons with the Lobos, ranking him fourth among all New Mexico players.

Drew Gordon also recorded 32 double-doubles for New Mexico, the sixth-most in program history.

He helped lead the Lobos to a Mountain West championship as a senior in 2011-12 while averaging 13.7 points and 11.1 rebounds.

The Nuggets first listed Aaron Gordon's switch to No. 32 on the team's official roster earlier this week.

Aaron Gordon wore No. 00 when he entered the league in 2014 as a first-round pick by the Orlando Magic.

He decided to change to No. 50 following his 2021 trade to the Nuggets to find a "fresh start" in Denver, per Katy Winge of Altitude Sports.

The number also referenced his eight 50-point efforts in the NBA slam dunk contest, which he has never won, per Winge.

The third jersey number of his NBA career isn't the only way Aaron Gordon will be honoring his late brother this season. Earlier this summer, the Nuggets forward shared on Instagram photos of a new tattoo inked with his brother's initials.

"Big bruh lives thru me," Aaron Gordon wrote on Instagram in June.

Aaron Gordon is heading into his 11th NBA season and his fifth in Denver. After averaging 13.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists last season, No. 32 is certain to remain a key part of the Nuggets' title hopes in 2025.

After a report surfaced on Tuesday stating that Denver Nuggets forward Christian Braun denied Russell Westbrook's request for his No. 0 jersey, Westbrook took to social media to set the record straight.

Westbrook wrote on Instagram that he "didn't want, inquire about, or request the number 0 because I chose to mark this new change with a 'new' number."

Westbrook is set to wear No. 4 in his first year with the Nuggets. He signed a multiyear deal with Denver in July after spending the last season-and-a-half with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Westbrook earned the nickname "Agent 0" for wearing the No. 0 throughout his career since joining the league in 2008. Unfortunately, that career is still without an NBA championship.

The Nuggets won the NBA championship in 2023 and fell short of their goal of repeating after losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference semifinals this past season. Westbrook is hoping that playing alongside reigning three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić will get him a step closer to earning the championship ring that has eluded him over his 16 seasons in the league.

The nine-time All-Star should have an immediate role as a key contributor off the bench for the Nuggets. Braun, the 21st pick in the 2022 NBA draft, is also a key member of Denver's second unit, so he and Westbrook will need to build their chemistry so they can be an effective bench duo.

Fortunately for the Nuggets, it appears that there's no bad blood between them over the No. 0.