DALLAS — The hat given to Jameer Nelson when the Nuggets made him the 20th pick of the 2004 NBA draft is still in his possession.
“It holds a special place in my heart whether I came to Denver or not,” Nelson said. “I got drafted. It’s something that you dream about. Going up there and shaking the commissioner’s hand, and I was fortunate enough to do that. So, I have both of them — the Orlando one too. But I still have the Denver one as well.”
Nelson’s arrival in Denver is the ultimate “better late than never” situation.
Last summer, 10 years after the Nuggets traded the guard from Saint Joseph’s to the Orlando Magic on draft night, Nelson needed to decide whether to sign with them as a free agent. But with a plethora of guards already on the Denver roster, he instead signed with the Dallas Mavericks.
“I thought the best opportunity to play was in Dallas,” Nelson said. “I felt like that was the best fit for me. Obviously the Nuggets had some guards, a lot of guards here. They didn’t know how many minutes I would play. So, I just felt like Dallas was the best spot for me.”
But the Mavs traded him to the Boston Celtics, who dealt him to Denver. Nelson and the Nuggets were reunited.
After playing 10 seasons with the Magic, being with three teams in one month has Nelson keeping “a couple bags packed,” he said.
“It’s part of the process if you’re a professional athlete,” Nelson said. “You have to expect to move around if you’re being honest with yourself. I got spoiled, 10 years in one place.”
Footnote. Danilo Gallinari (knee) went through a pregame on-court workout Friday and said he is hopeful of returning to action next Friday in Denver against the Celtics.
MINNESOTA AT DENVER 7 p.m. Saturday, ALT; 950 AM
Spotlight on Zach LaVine: The 19-year-old rookie guard from UCLA was one of the most impressive prospects to work out for the Nuggets before the 2014 NBA draft. The Timberwolves made him the 13th pick of the first round, and he’s having a solid debut season. LaVine was averaging 24.3 minutes, 8.6 points and 3.6 assists going into Friday’s game at Phoenix. He scored 19 points against defending champion San Antonio last Saturday in Minneapolis.
