With five free agents and a contract extension for Carmelo Anthony to deal with, the 49th pick in Wednesday’s NBA draft would not seem high on the Nuggets’ list of priorities.
“I don’t think we’re into the draft as much as we’re into changing pieces and parts,” coach George Karl said Saturday after watching what will likely be Denver’s last predraft workouts.
But that doesn’t mean the Nuggets aren’t busy talking, according to director of player personnel Mark Warkentien.
“At this time, there’s 100 phone calls going on,” he said, adding that a trade up in the draft remains a possibility.
Free agency starts three days after the draft. First on the Nuggets’ plate will be deciding what to do with Nene. The power forward, who missed all but one game last season with a serious right knee injury, is a restricted free agent, meaning Denver can match any offer a team throws at him.
“I told Nene the other day, ‘I’m a 99 percent guy of wanting you on my roster,”‘ Karl said. “I know I’ve maybe got to talk (owner) Stan (Kroenke) into doing things or matching an offer. But I’m 99 percent, because I was looking forward to this year and I feel I’ve been stripped. I didn’t get this year. This was the year that was supposed to make this decision easy or hard.”
Along with Nene, two other free agents-to-be have spent time in Denver’s practice gym recently – guards Greg Buckner and DerMarr Johnson. Karl also sounded pleased about the time he spent with Anthony this week.
“I think we’re all excited about how he’s moved,” he said. “He’s still got some physical growth, but a bigger window is probably the mental leadership, toughness, leadership through action and attitude, not through words.”
The coach was also asked about former all-star forward Shawn Kemp, who worked out for Denver earlier this month. Karl indicated that Kemp likely would not be on the Nuggets’ summer league team, and that a decision on him would likely come no earlier than late August, after the team’s roster has taken shape.
Footnotes
Denver worked out Iowa’s Jeff Horner, Stanford’s Dan Grunfeld and Air Force’s Antoine Hood, who was back for a second time. Karl said that if Hood does not get drafted, the Nuggets would be interested in putting him on their summer league team, calling him a “bouncy athlete who kind of has a winning attitude to him.”
Hood said he felt Saturday’s workout went better than his first appearance here. …
While Karl said he considers it a compliment that Sacramento hired his assistant, Scott Brooks, he also called Brooks’ departure “frustrating.”
“I’m disappointed. But (it’s) also a part of the business,” he said, adding that he would move slowly on a replacement and might not hire anyone.
Brooks coached four games last season while Karl was suspended. …
Karl on the departure of friend Larry Brown from the New York Knicks: “I think it’s good for him to get away. What I found out is you fall back in love for the game. Your love for the game now has a lot of anger and frustration and paranoia to it. But once you get back, your love of the gym and your love of the friendships and competition will come back. I think that’ll probably happen. But right now I don’t think he can feel that or even probably visualize that.”
When asked about rumors linking Brown to Charlotte, Karl replied that he thinks Brown would be open to a rebuilding situation, but that his family would influence his decision.
“I do know that he feels that he’s cheated his family the last couple of years,” Karl said.
Adam Thompson can be reached at 303-820-5447 or at athompson@denverpost.com.
