Continuing with moves that tinker with the roster for current effectiveness, yet also allow for future flexibility, the Nuggets dealt reserve guard Nate Robinson to the Boston Celtics in exchange for point guard Jameer Nelson on Tuesday.
“We are excited to add a player of Jameer’s caliber to our roster,” Nuggets general manager Tim Connelly said. “We have no doubt that his experience and veteran leadership will be of value to our team.”
It is the second trade the Nuggets have made in less than a week — they dealt starting center Timofey Mozgov to the Cleveland Cavaliers for two first-round draft picks Jan. 7.
PHOTOS:
Robinson was an enigma in his short time with the Nuggets. At his best, he was a lights-out scorer off the bench, the kind of player who could put 20 or more points on the board when he heated up in the blink of an eye. At his worst, he was a distracting force in the locker room and sometimes too fiery on the court, picking up technical fouls at inopportune times.
Robinson had grown tired of limited playing time. He was averaging just 14.1 minutes per game with the Nuggets. He’s in the final year of his contract and wants a chance to put his talent on better display, preferably for a team headed toward the playoffs.
Boston is expected to waive Robinson, making him available to join any team he’d like as a free agent. In his two-plus seasons in Denver, Robinson averaged 8.4 points and 2.5 assists in 17.3 minutes per game.
Connelly said Robinson “always came ready to play and brought that same intensity every day in practice.”
Nelson, meanwhile, has a player option for next season that pays him $2.9 million if he opts to stay with the Nuggets.
This the second time Nelson has been traded in less than a month.
Nelson was traded to Boston as part of the Rajon Rondo deal in December, about five months after he signed a two-year deal with the Dallas Mavericks. He played only six games for the Celtics after landing in Boston on Dec. 18.
Nelson was an original Nuggets draft pick in 2004, the 20th overall selection that year, but he never played a minute in Denver as he was quickly traded to the Orlando Magic for a first-round pick that became Julius Hodge. He played 10 seasons with the Magic before being waived last summer.
In his career, Nelson, 32, is averaging 12.3 points and 5.3 assists. He’ll immediately back up Ty Lawson in the Nuggets’ point guard rotation. He could be available for Wednesday night’s game against the Mavericks.
Christopher Dempsey: cdempsey@denverpost.com or
DALLAS AT DENVER
7 p.m. Wednesday, ALT; 950 AM
Spotlight on Rajon Rondo: He is the newest addition to a Mavericks team that is being pieced together to contend for a title. Traded to the Mavericks on Dec. 19, he is settling in and helping to stabilize the perimeter defense while running one of the NBA’s most potent and efficient offenses. He was averaging 11.1 points, 8.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds in 11 games with the Mavericks going into Tuesday night’s game against the Sacramento Kings.
NOTEBOOK
Nuggets: Forward Wilson Chandler practiced fully Tuesday for the second consecutive day as he recovered from a right knee strain that forced him to sit out of the Nuggets’ last game, a win at Sacramento last Friday. … Darrell Arthur practiced for the first time this week. He’s been dealing with a leg injury.
Mavericks: This is the second of a back-to-back for Dallas, which played at Sacramento on Tuesday night. … The Mavericks have lost three straight games against the Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. … Former CU standout Jamahl Mosley is on staff with the Mavericks. He worked for several years on the Nuggets’ coaching staff under former coach George Karl.
Christopher Dempsey, The Denver Post
