Nuggets rookie DaRon Holmes will start to get settled in Denver this week after arriving for his introductory news conference on Monday morning, where coach Michael Malone and owner Stan Kroenke were among the attendees.
In what has been a whirlwind week for Holmes, who was drafted 22nd overall in the first round of the NBA draft last Wednesday, he shouted out one of his young teammates.
“The first Nugget to reach out to me, and I’m gonna remember this for the rest of my life, was Julian Strawther,” he said. “He’s the only one to really reach out so far. The rest of them, I’ve heard they’re great people, so I can’t wait to meet them. I met Hunter Tyson in the locker room.”
Holmes reiterated that he’s looking forward to learning from Nikola Jokic, “offensively and defensively,” while Balcetis complimented the first-round draft pick’s rave reviews from former coaches who were contacted by the Nuggets during the pre-draft process.
“You did a great job bribing everyone around you,” Balcetis joked to Holmes.
Collin Gillespie signs with Suns
Point guard Collin Gillespie, who was on a two-way contract with Denver for two seasons out of Villanova, agreed to a two-way deal with the Phoenix Suns on Monday, according to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Gillespie was a G League All-Star for the Grand Rapids Gold in 2023-24, averaging close to a triple-double in the G League at 20.4 points, 9.0 rebounds and 11.2 assists. He had missed the previous season due to a fractured leg but remained on the Nuggets’ roster in one of their two-way spots for the duration of his injury.
In 24 NBA games for Denver, Gillespie averaged 3.6 points and 1.1 assists.
Denver has agreed to two-way deals with Creighton’s Trey Alexander and Clemson’s PJ Hall so far this offseason, according to a source.
