The Nuggets are signing Marvin Bagley III to a one-year veteran minimum contract, league sources told The Denver Post late Wednesday night, in their first roster addition of the 2026 offseason.

Bagley, 27, will earn around $3.5 million but carry a $2.45 million cap hit. A player’s minimum salary increases with his service time in the league, but the amount of his salary that counts against the cap remains the same, as not to incentivize teams to overlook more experienced free agents.

This will be Bagley’s ninth year. He has changed teams at the trade deadline in three consecutive seasons and four of the last five, most recently going from Washington to Dallas in the Anthony Davis trade this February.

The 6-foot-10 big man is Denver’s newest backup center option, another soldier in the perennial fight for survival that is Nikola Jokic’s time on the bench. The Nuggets traded for Jonas Valanciunas last summer, trying an ambitious strategy by paying $10.4 million to a second-string center who had started for most of his career.

It worked smoothly for most of the regular season — Denver’s net rating without Jokic was minus-2.9, a marked improvement from minus-9.3 the previous year — but Valanciunas nonetheless faded mostly out of the rotation by the playoffs.

And so the Nuggets have seemingly decided to allocate less money toward the position next season, barring any other unexpected acquisitions. All signs point to Valanciunas not returning: He has $2 million guaranteed out of a $10 million expiring salary, and the Nuggets can avoid the other $8 million by trading or waiving him by July 9. The 34-year-old Lithuanian center has reportedly received EuroLeague interest for the second consecutive summer.

Bagley joins DaRon Holmes II, Zeke Nnaji and newly drafted Trevon Brazille as the biggest players on Denver’s bench. He could provide an option at power forward as well. He averaged 10.5 points and 6.1 rebounds in 20 minutes per game last season, appearing in 60 games between the Wizards and Mavericks. He’s also played for Memphis, Detroit and Sacramento.

The Kings drafted him with the second overall pick in 2018, a decision that became notorious because Luka Doncic was taken with the next pick. Bagley has been widely viewed as a bust comparison. But his athleticism, rim-running and paint scoring are traits that have persisted throughout a journeyman career. He was able to position himself, catch and finish well around the basket late last season in Dallas, where he had four 20-point games and three double-doubles.

Whether Bagley can be a dependable playoff option in Denver is unclear. He has appeared in two playoff games for his career, both in 2025 for the Grizzlies. The former Duke star amassed 17 points on a perfect 8-for-8 shooting performance in one of those games; he went scoreless in 11 minutes the other.

The harsh reality is that very few players available for the veteran minimum salary end up impacting teams at a championship level. Expecting to improve from good to great merely by signing guys out of the bargain bin is a fool’s errand.

But a clever vet minimum acquisition can pay dividends over the course of a season. The Nuggets have pulled off two of the savviest signings of the last two years, in terms of regular-season production relative to salary. Russell Westbrook was a chaotic but dynamic player in 2024-25, shouldering a high usage rate and playing a huge part in Denver’s first-round playoff series against the Clippers. In the next free agency cycle, a new front office scooped up Tim Hardaway Jr., who proceeded to shoot 40.7% from 3-point range and finish in third place for Sixth Man of the Year.

Both players ultimately struggled in the playoff rounds that ended Denver’s 2025 and 2026 seasons — a reminder that role player output is fickle, and that even the successful minimum signings shouldn’t be over-relied on during a series. But that doesn’t change the fact that both players were essential in their own ways to Denver’s survival of the 82-game grind.

Jon Wallace and Ben Tenzer will need to make use of the veteran minimum again this summer as they seek creative ways to assemble a competitive bench despite likely payroll restraints. If the Nuggets shed enough salary via a trade, they might be able to open up part of , giving them a little more spending money to throw at free agents. But for the most part, they’ll be working on the minimum scale. (A player’s minimum salary is dependent on his service time in the league, but his cap hit is a fixed number regardless of experience beyond two years, so that teams aren’t incentivized to choose younger players just for the cap space. Next year’s projected vet minimum cap hit is $2.45 million.)

One advantage the Nuggets have as they try to pitch players? Evidence of countless others who’ve benefited statistically and financially from playing alongside Nikola Jokic. We’ve compiled a list of 20 free agents they could try to lure to Denver this summer. For the sake of the exercise, we’re only looking at potential newcomers here — not Denver’s own free agents, who are also candidates to re-sign (Hardaway, Peyton Watson, Spencer Jones, Bruce Brown, Tyus Jones).

LeBron James, Lakers F

Look, what kind of a list would this be if we didn’t take advantage of the opportunity to start with LeBron?

Let’s preface by recognizing this is probably not happening. If James signs for the minimum outside of Los Angeles this offseason (and that’s a big “if”), it’s way more likely to be somewhere that A) maximizes his chances of going out with a fifth championship (*coughs* Eastern Conference), and B) has either some emotional resonance (*coughs again* Cleveland) or historical gravitas (*something must’ve gone down the wrong pipe* New York). And that’s all if the conveniently located incumbent team with ample cap space and his son on the roster doesn’t make enough of an effort to retain him for one last contract.

Alternatively for the Nuggets, there’s the sign-and-trade route — if they’re willing to get older while helping the Lakers get younger (Peyton Watson? Cam Johnson?), and if they can navigate the salary cap obstacles (you can’t complete a sign-and-trade if you’re in the second apron), and if James is onboard with the whole thing. In any case, a complex alignment of the stars would be required to get him to Denver.

But if you want to talk yourself into it, you can start with the fact that James and Josh Kroenke have a friendship that dates back years. Or that Kroenke once sent LeBron a Nuggets jersey in a cheeky attempt to recruit him to Denver. Or that Jokic’s Serbian agent, Misko Raznatovic, posted a photo to Instagram of him and LeBron on a boat last summer, captioned: “The summer of 2025 is the perfect time to make big plans for the fall of 2026!” Or that James has long admired Jokic’s basketball IQ and has seen it up close in three playoff clashes between their teams. Or that Jared Dudley, a former teammate and noted confidant of James, is David Adelman’s lead assistant coach. Or that to land the all-time great back in March. Anything is possible in a league where Luka Doncic can get traded to the Lakers in the middle of the night — maybe even something as wacky as LeBron leaving the Lakers for a less prestigious team in a landlocked smaller market.

Khris Middleton, Mavericks F

Denver pursued Middleton pretty aggressively before the buyout market deadline earlier this year. The three-time All-Star ultimately chose to play out the season in Dallas, where he had landed in February as part of the Anthony Davis trade. Once an NBA Finals hero for Milwaukee, Middleton turns 35 this offseason. He’s entering the twilight of his career. Does that mean he’ll be open to signing a cheap deal with a contender? He’s worth revisiting as Denver goes looking for ball-handlers who can take over the scoring load on a random Tuesday in January when Jamal Murray is out.

Collin Sexton, Bulls G

Sexton can probably get paid more than the minimum if he wants. But the 27-year-old combo guard has never appeared in a playoff game, and Denver is a winning team in need of his specific talents. He’s a quick driver with a bit of maniacal competitive energy to him. That personality has never really experienced the NBA spotlight, though, as Sexton has spent eight years in the wilderness of several rebuilds. If the Nuggets are feeling ambitious, he’s the kind of player they could try to convince to take a cheap, short-term contract — a “prove it” year that could parlay into more money later.

Nikola Vucevic, Celtics C

The Jonas Valanciunas experiment was smooth enough in the regular season, but underwhelming in the playoffs. The Nuggets are unlikely to bring him back at a non-guaranteed salary of $10 million. They’ll need a new backup center, especially if they remain reluctant to play DaRon Holmes II. Can they find another veteran innings-eater for less money than they paid the last one? Vucevic would make a lot of sense. A trade deadline acquisition for Boston on a $20 million expiring salary, he never established a consistent role in a frontcourt with two younger centers. If a handful of contenders recruit the 35-year-old Montenegrin, his friendship with Jokic should give Denver an upper hand. Vucevic is certainly flawed (especially on defense), but he’s also a viable five-out big man and a vocal locker room leader.

Bogdan Bogdanovic, Clippers G

Speaking of Jokic’s friends, how about his longtime partner in crime on the Serbian national team? Bogdanovic has a $17 million team option next season. The Clippers might want to pick up the option to use it in a salary match for a trade, but if they choose to let him walk instead, he could be drawn to Denver, where he would be an affordable bench option. Bogdanovic seems to be a scorer in relative decline, but maybe he can capture some of that Serbian pick-and-roll chemistry with Jokic.

Keon Ellis, Cavaliers G

After getting traded from Sacramento to Cleveland this February, Ellis didn’t get as much playoff run as expected with the Cavaliers. The Nuggets could look to add some point-of-attack defense on the perimeter with the 26-year-old wing if he doesn’t want to re-sign with the Cavs.

Gabe Vincent, Hawks G

Vincent is coming off a down year that saw him shoot just 35.2% from the field while getting traded from Los Angeles to Atlanta. He turns 30 this summer.

Matisse Thybulle, Trail Blazers G

How much do the Blazers want to spend on a wild card like Thybulle as they take their next steps toward contending? He guards at a high level — when he plays. His durability has become a major concern, on top of his offensive limitations, as he has played only 45 games over the last two years. Maybe his value hasn’t dipped all the way into minimum territory, but he’s another dynamic defender the Nuggets might want to keep an eye on.

Gary Payton II, Warriors G

The Golden State veteran could add leadership and defense if he finds a new home this offseason. Wherever he ends up, it’ll likely be on a minimum contract. Fellow Warriors guards De’Anthony Melton (player option) and Seth Curry could also be on the market, as their team faces an uncertain future of building around Seth’s brother.

Jordan Goodwin, Suns F

Waived by the Lakers last summer, Goodwin found a home in Phoenix, where the former two-way player continued to develop as a reliable 3-and-D rotation player. The Suns might just do everything in their power to retain him.

Aaron Holiday, Rockets G

Long ago, the Nuggets were in trade talks to acquire Jrue Holiday before he went to Milwaukee. They had Justin Holiday on their roster two years ago when they tied a franchise record with 57 wins. The third Holiday brother is on the market this summer after averaging 11.2 minutes for Houston in the playoffs.

Jordan Clarkson, Knicks G

The 34-year-old scoring guard averaged 8.6 points in 17.8 minutes with New York this season. His minutes have predictably decreased in the playoffs, but he’s headed to his second career NBA Finals nonetheless. Nuggets connection: Clarkson and Josh Kroenke share University of Missouri basketball roots.

Guerschon Yabusele, Bulls F

There’s been a lot of smoke involving Yabusele and a return to Europe. If he stays in the NBA, though, Denver is a landing spot that might appeal to the French power forward after bouncing between Philly, New York and Chicago over the last two seasons.

Andre Drummond, 76ers C

Another backup center option. Drummond was in trade rumors around the deadline, but nothing came of them. (Instead, Philadelphia ducked the luxury tax by handing over Jared McCain to the best team in the league.) There are a few free agent bigs who are probably out of Denver’s price range (Mitchell Robinson, Robert Williams III, Kristaps Porzingis). Drummond, like Vucevic, is sort of in that next tier — affordable former All-Stars who can give you a short stint of minutes each half. For a younger alternative? Perhaps Marvin Bagley III (27), who finished the season strong in Dallas.

Harrison Barnes, Spurs F

Barnes’ on-court role decreased throughout the year, but there’s no reason to think the Spurs won’t want him back anyway for his locker room leadership. If he has the choice between signing a minimum in San Antonio or in Denver, he seems more likely to stay where he’s at. Not a shabby situation down there in Texas.

Josh Okogie, Rockets G

Okogie played well on a one-year minimum deal in Houston. In fact, he might’ve played himself out of needing to sign for the minimum again this summer. If he doesn’t have enough of a market to get the taxpayer mid-level exception, Denver could swoop in and pursue the 3-and-D wing who’ll be 28 on opening day.

Jeff Green, Rockets F

We started this list with the oldest active player in the NBA. We’ll finish it with the fifth-oldest. Not only was Green a valued presence on Denver’s 2023 championship team; he’s also a close friend and former college roommate of Nuggets co-general manager Jon Wallace.

“Hey, wake up,” Jokic told a referee after disagreeing with a lane violation call early in the Nuggets’ game Monday night. It was caught on broadcast video.

“Wake up. Wake up,” he repeated, clapping as though he was encouraging a teammate. He received his first technical foul, setting the stage for his disqualification late in the first half.

Jokic’s frustrations with officiating became a theme during Denver’s similarly frustrating five-game road trip this week, sparking a new wave of debate about how the two-time MVP is guarded and whether he receives enough grace from referees in the post.

“That����ap normal,” Jokic told The Denver Post when asked about opponents not getting whistled for physical defense. “Seems like some guys are getting more beneficial calls. Some guys are not. And that����ap normal. And some guys can say a little bit more. Some guys can’t. And that����ap normal. I accept it.”

On one hand, complaining is often correlated with losing, and the Nuggets were entrenched in their first losing stretch of 2023-24 at the height of this multi-game conflict with officials. The day before his ejection in Detroit, Jokic reached five fouls early in the second half of a blowout loss. He was repeatedly miffed by calls and no-calls, culminating with him committing an ill-advised flagrant with the ball in his hands one possession after an offensive foul call that he disagreed with. Before the second half started Friday night in Houston, Jokic had a conversation with an official near the scorer’s table during which he used Nuggets coach Michael Malone as a demonstration, putting both his hands on Malone’s back while making his point. It’s not at all uncommon for stars to squabble with referees more adamantly than other players. Just ask Jokic’s friend, Luka Doncic.

On the other hand, it would be naive to ignore the recent trend of defenders making a concerted effort to treat Jokic’s post-ups with more physicality. From notoriously bulldoggish wing P.J. Tucker to Cleveland’s imposing double-big lineup anchored by Jarrett Allen, opponents are combatting arguably the best interior scorer in the NBA by doing exactly what Jokic replicated: putting two hands on him, roughing him up and daring the referees to call it. (In fairness to them, not much else works against Jokic.) Aaron Gordon said after the game in Detroit that he doesn’t blame Jokic for getting frustrated.

“I don’t think there’s a good plan (to counter that defensive approach),” Malone said Wednesday. “You can go into the game, but you can’t have a premeditated attack. I mean, we’ve talked to the league for nine years about Nikola and how he’s being guarded. I think things improved as he became MVP, things improved as we became a team that was winning at a high level. And I think he started to get the respect of the officials. But every night����ap a different night.

“You never know how the game is going to be called. Are they going to call it tight? Are they gonna let them play? And as players and coaches, we have to adjust to the whistle. You can’t go into every game expecting it to be called a certain way. And that����ap just the way it is. It����ap always been like that.”

In the first four games of Denver’s road trip, Jokic attempted 15 total free throws, coming out to 6.23 attempts per 48 minutes played — well below his season average of 8.6 attempts per 48 minutes and much fewer than other high-usage MVP candidates (Joel Embiid 16.2, Giannis Antetokounmpo 14.8, Kevin Durant 11.1, Doncic 10.2). Jokic leads the league in touches per game (101.4) and post-ups per game (7.3) as of Sunday. He also ranks near the top of the league in 2-point field percentage (63.8%) and is third in points in the paint (17.1 per game) while top-10 in usage rate, but a fouls-drawn rate that doesn’t correspond.

Obviously, the elephant in the room is that Jokic’s play style has a lot to do with Denver’s low free-throw frequency. A ball movement-oriented offense is designed around his ability to see the floor, guide cutters, make the improbable pass or simply draw double-teams then locate who’s open. He doesn’t need to rely on drawing fouls to create offense. It’s why he’s one of the most thrilling players of his generation.

But he has also looked more like a score-first center early this season. His seconds per touch and dribbles per touch are marginally up from last year, so far. In the first 15 games, he averaged 18.7 field goal attempts after averaging 13.4 in his first 15 games of 2022-23. The more unstoppable he is as a sheer scorer, the more teams might feel their only choice is to guard him daringly. He’s in foul-drawing situations more often, but the calls aren’t coming.

Maybe this is how the pendulum swings back toward Jokic being a threat to lead the league in assists. He matched a career-high in New Orleans with 18, and he averaged 17.45 per 48 minutes in the first four games of this trip (vs. 12.49 per 48 this season as a whole). That should serve as a reminder how effective Jokic is offensively even when he’s frustrated at what he believes is a competitive disadvantage.

Also, a lot of the instigating events this week were off-ball situations: the lane violation in Detroit, an entanglement with Marvin Bagley III away from the play, an opponent jumping on Jokic’s back and knocking him down while he was trying to grab a defensive rebound in Orlando.

But there’s more to this than simply pointing fingers at the refs. If teams see Jokic react to no-calls the way he did this week, they’re more likely to double down on that chippy style against him. (After the absurd no-call during the rebound, a frustrated Jokic and Jalen Suggs grappled with each other while getting to their feet.) Teams have been failing to invent an effective defensive coverage against Jokic for years now. Getting him riled up and ejected seems to be the only proven method of containing him. Thick skin is necessary.

“I don’t try to talk to (the referees) usually,” Jokic told The Post, asked whether he thinks about when to pick his battles. “It just happened (in Detroit). It is what it is.”

In that area, Malone expressed full confidence in his center.

“You’ve gotta understand, me and Nikola, we’ve been together for nine years now,” he said. “And throughout those nine years, he’s proven to be very trustworthy. … I trust Nikola. He reads the game like no other, and if he’s getting flustered on the court, there’s a reason for that. … I can’t get thrown out. He can’t get thrown out. We have to find a way to deal with whatever adversity we may think we’re dealing with and stay in the game with our players to help them get through what they’re trying to get through. But Nikola’s a big boy, and I fully trust him to handle his business.”

Jokic and Malone have both remained as determined as possible to not let any officiating disputes stray into excuse territory when talking with media. That’s probably the best way to handle that business. But to onlookers, two things seem to be true at once: The defending NBA Finals MVP is getting increasingly hacked without accountability, and his reactions recently haven’t been Jokic at his most graceful.

Want more Nuggets news? Sign up for the Nuggets Insider to get all our NBA analysis.

In the second game of a Rust Belt back-to-back in which frustration with officiating stewed and simmered until it boiled over, Jokic followed Nuggets coach Michael Malone down the tunnel almost exactly one quarter after Malone was ejected for arguing calls early in a 107-103 Denver win over the Pistons.

The Nuggets (10-4) escaped a hectic finish with airtight interior defense, snapping a four-game road losing streak and extending Detroit’s skid to 12 games. Reggie Jackson led the charge sans Jokic with 21 points, six assists and no turnovers in an otherwise chaotic, calamitous game.

“Character win,” Malone said. “That’s what I’d say. Character win.”

Jackson converted a baseline floater with a foul to tie the Pistons at 97, gave the Nuggets a 103-101 lead with a driving layup, then lobbed an assist for Aaron Gordon that turned into the go-ahead and-one with 1:33 left. Denver never relinquished that lead. The one time Jackson faltered, getting crossed up by Cade Cunningham in the last 20 seconds with a three-point lead, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope rotated in help defense to force a missed layup. Caldwell-Pope also scored 20.

“We’ve been together since our Detroit days, so if anybody has seen me get beat and knew I was gonna get beat quickly, (it����ap KCP),” Jackson said. “… I’m sure he was counting on me to get crossed over.”

Jokic’s ejection was prompted by his second technical foul of the night with 1:21 before halftime. It came one day after he played a season-low 27 minutes due to foul trouble in Cleveland.

He was oozing attitude from the opening tip Monday, picking up his first technical within five minutes for arguing a lane violation call. When Jokic and Marvin Bagley III got tangled off-ball during a Nuggets possession moments later, Jokic appeared to sarcastically applaud the officials for calling the foul on Bagley instead of him.

By the end of the half, Jokic was aggravated enough to stop dribbling during a live-ball situation while he was attempting to back down Bagley. He let the ball bounce, dormant, while giving the nearest official his signature baffled-arms gesture.

No call. Live ball.

Jokic re-gathered possession then flailed as Isaiah Stewart rotated to double-team him and help Bagley knock the ball away. That, too, resulted in no foul call. The ball slowly rolled out of bounds for a Nuggets side-out. But rather than move on, Jokic kept getting in the face of referee Tre Maddox, while stand-in head coach David Adelman tried to get between them. Maddox handed Jokic another technical, and Jokic made his exit from a game that was soon 56-55 Nuggets at halftime.

“He doesn’t need to apologize. They’re fouling him, and they’re not reffing him by the book,” Gordon said. “They’re putting two hands on him. They’re pushing him. It’s a foul. When somebody has their back to the basket, you can’t put two hands on him, and they keep putting two hands on him. So it’s a foul. I can understand his frustration.”

Jackson, the ex-Piston, scored the buzzer-beating layup to give Denver that slim lead. He had been greeted with mild boos pregame when he was introduced, but Jokic received mostly applause from Detroit’s fans during starting lineup intros. As the two-time MVP exited the game, the Pistons local broadcast expressed displeasure with the officiating crew: “Let me tell you this, these fans did not come here to see Curtis Blair, Tre Maddox or Andy Nagy, whoever they are.”

Jackson also scored 18 points against his most recent team, the Clippers, six days earlier. Is there something about playing his former teams?

“Yeahhh,” he said. “I love my former teams, always. I’m always appreciative of my time there. But gotta try to show up when you play your old teams.”

Nikola Jokic picked up his second technical foul and was ejected right before halftime of Nuggets-Pistons

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone was ejected after picking up two techs earlier in the half.

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints)

The reason Adelman was the man trying to intervene with Jokic? Blair, the crew chief, tossed Malone with 1:22 left in the first quarter. Malone’s tipping point was a foul call on Nuggets rookie Julian Strawther, who was the first player to dive on top of a loose ball at Denver’s defensive end of the floor. An opposing player tripped over Strawther trying to go after the ball, but Strawther was whistled. Malone turned to the second row of the bench to watch the replay as play continued, then he continued yelling at the officials.

Unlike Jokic, Malone received both technicals within two seconds of each other.

“We teach our guys, be first to the floor,” Malone said. “First to the floor. Win the 50-50 battle. And in that play right there, I felt Julian was first to the floor. Doing exactly what we are asking him to do. So I give Julian credit for trying to fight for that loose ball. But the officiating is the officiating, and we move on and get ready to go to Orlando.”

The NBA comes back Wednesday with a very different look.

The league’s marketing motto for the restart of the season at Walt Disney World is “Whole New Game,” and in many respects, that����ap very true. The arenas that will be used for the exhibitions, the seeding games that start July 30 and then the playoffs that are scheduled for mid-August through mid-October set up much differently than usual — all with safety during a pandemic very much in mind.

Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers said league officials have been great, “they really have been. They’ve done everything right as far as I’m concerned.

“I mean, when you think that we’re running a village for the first time, the league is doing pretty well in city management.”

The court dimensions, of course, are unchanged.

Everything else about an NBA game setup is new.

Seating in the bench areas will be assigned, with folding chairs set up on three rows instead of the customary two and spaced out several feet from one another — instead of players sitting shoulder-to-shoulder as they have in the past. And across the center stripe, the words “Black Lives Matter” are painted onto the surface.

The area where the official scorers, timers and statisticians sit is enclosed by plexiglass, with social distancing in that makeshift room as well. Broadcasters, who are courtside in normal circumstances, will be higher up and several feet further back from the playing surface. Even the setup for replay reviews will be different — that monitor is in the corner of the arena, instead of being kept at the scorer’s table and utilized when needed.

League officials hope they thought of every way to keep people apart and promote social distancing.

Some teams have gotten tours already; Denver center Nikola Jokic didn’t get to see the arenas yet, but said Nuggets President Tim Connelly gave them good reviews.

“I didn’t see it in person,” Jokic said. “Tim told me it looks really nice. But to be honest, I’ve played in every possible arena. Nice, bad. Cold, hot. Whatever.”

The exhibitions that start on Wednesday will be glorified scrimmages, designed to help the teams, the referees and even the game-night workers figure out how everything works. Teams have even collaborated on their game plans, asking one another what they want to work on in these matchups that won’t count for anything.

They won’t even have a game feel: No national anthems will be played, no starter introductions will take place, warmups might not even happen like usual and some real-game elements might get tested out to see what works. The first scrimmages for each team will also have 10-minute quarters, as opposed to the usual 12.

“I’ve just got to take it one game at a time, see what it����ap like during these scrimmages,” Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard said.

Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said he reached out to Utah’s Quin Snyder and Sacramento’s Luke Walton on how they wanted to make things work in their upcoming scrimmages, and other coaches have had similar conversations.

The Clippers play Orlando on Wednesday. Rivers said he knows exactly what Magic coach Steve Clifford will do in that scrimmage, and Orlando knows the Clippers’ plans as well.

“We’re looking at this as an opportunity to get better for both teams,” Rivers said. “So, coaches are absolutely sharing things. We’re asking them in this quarter can you do this, on-side, out-of-bounds, can you do this defense, then what do you want me to do? I think it����ap been great in that way.”

NOTES: Bam Adebayo and Kendrick Nunn (excused absences) joined the Miami Heat at Disney on Tuesday, meaning all 17 players on that roster are now inside the bubble. Neither will play in Miami’s exhibition opener Wednesday against Sacramento while satisfying quarantine requirements. … Sacramento announced Tuesday night that Marvin Bagley III will miss the rest of the season with a right foot sprain. It����ap the latest blow for the Kings, who still do not have Harrison Barnes with them at Disney while he deals with coronavirus.

Barnes scored six of his season-high 30 points in overtime, Buddy Hield hit two free throws with 9.5 seconds left and the Kings rallied to beat the Nuggets 100-97.

“That����ap largely my role, to come in to help where needed,” Barnes said. “Some nights it����ap scoring. Some nights it����ap rebounding, some night it����ap defense. Some nights it simply just making the right play. That����ap something I try to do consistently for this team.”

Barnes’ leadership has become much more valuable while Sacramento plays without injured starters De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley III. He helped stabilize the Kings after they trailed by 17 at halftime, then came up big in overtime when he nearly outscored Denver by himself.

“Tonight, he showed again why he’s so important to us on both ends of the court,” Walton said. “It was a good, solid win for our group, one that we needed and we worked for.”

Sacramento didn’t lead until Barnes made a jumper early in overtime. Gary Harris’ 3-pointer put the Nuggets up 95-94, but Barnes answered with two free throws and scored on a short lean-in shot.

Harris made two free throws before Hield answered with two of his own to help Sacramento end a six-game losing streak against Denver.

The Kings became the third team this season to win after trailing by 17 at halftime, joining Miami and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Nuggets failed to get off a shot in the final 15 seconds as Jamal Murray dribbled out the clock.

“We have to come up with something better,” Murray said. “The ball was in my hands, so it makes me look bad when that happens. We have to come up with something better, get open, and set some screens. It all comes out in the execution.”

Nemanja Bjelica had 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Kings. Richaun Holmes added 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Hield had 21 points despite an off-night shooting.

Harris scored 18 of his 25 points in the first quarter. Will Barton added 14 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. Murray scored 15 points.

The Nuggets missed a chance to win in regulation when Holmes blocked Murray’s shot from behind at the buzzer.

“You have to get a shot off at the end of regulation and you have to get a shot off at the end of overtime, and we didn’t get a shot off either time,” Denver coach Mike Malone said. “Obviously I have to do a better job in terms of helping us with that late game execution.”

Sacramento was behind 75-67 entering the fourth. Hield, who struggled with his shot for much of the game, made consecutive 3s and scored on a driving layup to tie it at 90.

TIP-INS

Nuggets: Denver scored 57 points in the first half but was outscored 60-40 after that. … Nikola Jokic missed five consecutive shots in the fourth quarter. … Harris’ previous season high of 17 points also came against Sacramento.

Kings: Holmes’ double-double is his sixth this season, a career high. … Bagley has yet to be cleared to play but is getting closer. The second overall pick a year ago, Bagley has been out since breaking his right thumb in the season opener. Fox (left ankle sprain) is also making progress in his rehab but isn’t as close as Bagley.

WINNING UGLY

The Kings won despite shooting 38.5% from the floor. They are one of six NBA teams to win shooting at least that poorly.

UP NEXT

Nuggets: Return to Denver to host the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

Kings: Host the Bulls on Monday. Sacramento has won the last four against Chicago.

“Our defense has been our anchor,” Murray said. “It’s been what’s won us (games). Guys have to know we’re a defensive team first. We can all score. We can all shoot. But defense is clearly how to win games.”

Murray scored 14 points of his 18 points in the second half, including four in the final 31 seconds, added a pair of late free throws and the Nuggets held on after nearly blowing a big lead in the fourth quarter, beating the winless 101-94 on Monday night.

The Nuggets (3-0) shook off a sluggish first half when they shot 17 of 52, took control in the third quarter with a stifling defense that repeatedly forced Sacramento into contested shots from the perimeter, then held off a late rally by the Kings to remain unbeaten.

“I challenged our guys to be a lot more physical and make them feel us,” Denver coach Mike Malone said. “We didn’t change our game plan. We just changed how hard and how physical we were playing. This was another night our offense struggled, but some guys stepped up and made big plays down the stretch.”

Harris scored 17 points as Denver won its fifth straight against Sacramento. had nine points on 4-for-15 shooting with 13 rebounds and added 13 points and nine rebounds.

Denver led comfortably midway through the fourth quarter before Holmes scored five points as part of a 10-0 run that cut the Nuggets’ lead to 90-88.

Holmes later scored on a soaring one-handed dunk that made it 95-92, before Murray’s deep shot just inside the 3-point line. After Barnes scored on a putback, Harris and Murray each hit two free throws.

“I came out more aggressive,” said Murray, who missed five of his first six shots. “That’s something I have to change with myself from the jump. I can’t just kind of be a part of the offense. I have to be aggressive and create for guys. That’s what I did in the second half.”

Richaun Holmes had 24 points and 12 rebounds for the Kings (0-4). De’Aaron Fox added 20 points and nine assists, and Harrison Barnes and Nemanja Bjelica each scored 12.

First-year Sacramento coach Luke Walton felt his team made progress despite the loss, particularly defensively.

“That’s what we have to be,” Walton said. “That’s why we stress, and there was a point made, becoming a team that comes on defense so that when we have off shooting nights we still have a chance to win. We really played a competitive game and we stuck together.”

TIP-INS

Nuggets: Denver outscored Sacramento 30-17 in the third quarter. … Murray and Barton were a combined 2 of 12 in the first half when Denver shot 32.7% from the floor.

Kings: The last time Sacramento started 0-4 was in 2008-09, when Reggie Theus was the coach. … Trevor Ariza made three 3s in the first quarter. He went into the night 1 of 7 from beyond the arc. … Holmes was called for a technical for taunting after dunking against Denver’s . … Marvin Bagley III missed his second consecutive game with a broken thumb. Harry Giles (left knee soreness) was also held out.

THIRD-QUARTER BLUES

The Kings have been outscored by 10 or more in the third quarter of every game so far this season. “I think it’s still a focus thing,” Holmes said. “We have to come in and just lock in, lock in to what we’re doing and lock in fast.”

QUOTABLE

“This was a mature win. They were hungry, they played with a lot of energy. And we matched that energy and we finished the deal.” — Denver’s Mason Plumlee.

UP NEXT

Nuggets: Host Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.

Kings: Host Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.

Bagley’s decision was revealed Sunday, two days before he was to report to El Segundo, California, for the second week of training camp. Bagley was not immediately replaced, and unless that changes the U.S. will have 16 players still in the mix for 12 final roster spots.

The New York Times first reported Bagley’s decision to withdraw.

Bagley was on the select team — younger NBA players brought in to compete against national-team candidates — last week in Las Vegas, and earned a promotion to the national team Friday night following USA Basketball’s intrasquad scrimmage.

Sacramento still has two players left as World Cup roster candidates, with Harrison Barnes and De’Aaron Fox headed to camp this week. Boston has four — Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker. Milwaukee’s Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton remain candidates, along with Brooklyn’s Joe Harris, the ‘ Kyle Kuzma, Toronto’s Kyle Lowry, Utah’s Donovan Mitchell, Denver’s Mason Pluelee, Houston’s P.J. Tucker, Indiana’s Myles Turner and San Antonio’s Derrick White.

Lowry (thumb surgery) and Smart (calf strain) are both dealing with injuries, with clarity on their situations expected to come early this week. The Americans will practice at the Lakers’ facility Tuesday through Thursday, then face Spain in Anaheim, California on Friday night.

MVP

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo • 2. James Harden • 3. Paul George • 4. • 5. Damian Lillard.

There’s a reasonable argument to make for both Antetokounmpo and Harden, but I can’t ignore how the Bucks improved by 16 wins on last year’s campaign while the Rockets fell by 12. And while Harden has improved significantly as a defender, Antetokounmpo is such an imposing figure that he gets the lion’s share of the credit for Milwaukee’s top-ranked defense. Paul George has been invaluable to the Thunder on both ends of the court, and Nikola Jokic’s emergence as Denver’s franchise star has been incredible to watch. From a national perspective, I understand that Jokic can be an acquired taste. Seeing him every day and hearing opposing coaches compare his passing to Magic Johnson is significant. He’s the reason an inexperienced, injury-riddled outfit is the No. 2 seed.

Most Improved

1. Pascal Siakam • 2.D’Angelo Russell • 3. Domantas Sabonis.

Pascal Siakam’s rise has been so stunning and swift that it����ap fair to wonder whether he’ll make another sizable jump next season. After averaging 7.3 points in 20 minutes per game last season, Toronto’s malleable forward posted 16.9 points per game in almost 32 minutes a night while simultaneously playing elite defense. His inside game, his footwork and his 3-point shooting have all taken massive strides. Russell deserved serious consideration as well as he elevated his game to All-Star levels and took the Nets back to the postseason. While not making as big a leap in terms of production, Sabonis has been a lynchpin for the Pacers off the bench. Only five players in the NBA shot better than his 59 percent from the field while playing at least 23 minutes per game.

Sixth Man

1. Lou Williams • 2. Montrezl Harrell • 3. Domantas Sabonis.

Lou Williams is the best scorer on the best bench for a team that overachieved. In fact, he led the Clippers in scoring with 20 points per night. If Williams wins, it will be the third time in the last five years that he’s taken home the hardware. His bruising teammate Harrell plays with the energy of an entire bench mob, and the two have devised a complementary scheme that undermines opposing reserve units. To go from second-round project to what he’s become – a monster on the glass – is a testament to him buying into his role off the bench.

Rookie of the Year

1. Luka Doncic • 2. Trae Young • 3. DeAndre Ayton.

Even if his shooting percentages waned in the second half, Luka Doncic has transcendent talent. His awareness coupled with his basketball acumen is evident watching him even just for a game. Young did everything in his power to make it a race, but it was probably too late. That doesn’t mean what he did since the All-Star break was anything short of astonishing. Since then he’s averaged 24.7 points and 9.2 assists per game. Even more impressive, the Hawks won as many games (10) as playoff-bound Indiana. Both players, if they’re not already, are going to be stars.

Coach of the Year

1. Mike Budenholzer • 2. Michael Malone • 3. Nate McMillan.

Budenholzer transformed a Bucks team into an offensive juggernaut and turned a middling defensive team into the NBA’s stingiest unit. Of course, having the MVP frontrunner never hurts, but it still takes a coach to unlock Antetokounmpo’s most lethal form.

That “Bud” gets the nod isn’t to detract from what Malone did with the Nuggets. It is mildly stunning to go from a team on the outside of the postseason all the way to the No. 2 seed without any huge roster overhaul. He empowered Nikola Jokic to take over the offense, weathered injuries to 60 percent of his starters, crafted a top-10 defense, unleashed and honed multiple 6th man candidates and pulled the strings as Denver navigated uncharted territory. Under his watch, the Nuggets are the only team in the NBA to increase their win total throughout the past four years. In no uncertain terms, Malone has done a hell of a job.

Defensive Player of the Year

1. Rudy Gobert • 2. Paul George • 3. Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The most integral piece of the second-best defense in the NBA, Rudy Gobert makes everything easier for the . His mobility in the paint lets their perimeter defenders stay home, and, consequently, the Jazz allow the second-fewest made 3-pointers in the league. Gobert has the second-most blocks in the league among qualified players, and his defensive FG percentage (53.2) ranks fourth in the NBA on 7.7 attempts per game. George probably has less help than Gobert or Antetokounmpo, but the advanced metrics all support Gobert����ap claim.

Rookie first team: Luka Doncic, Trae Young, DeAndre Ayton, Jaren Jackson Jr., Marvin Bagley III

Rookie second team: Collin Sexton, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Mitchell Robinson, Kevin Huerter, Landry Shamet

Defense first team: Rudy Gobert, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paul George, Danny Green, Eric Bledsoe

Defense second team: Myles Turner, Pascal Siakam, , Klay Thompson, Jrue Holiday

All-NBA first team: Steph Curry, James Harden, Paul George, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic

All-NBA second team: Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving, , Blake Griffin, Joel Embiid

All-NBA third team: Russell Westbrook, Bradley Beal, , Kawhi Leonard, Rudy Gobert

Arizona’s Deandre Ayton, Duke’s Marvin Bagley III and Wendell Carter Jr., Michigan State’s Jaren Jackson Jr. and Texas center Mo Bamba are all expected to be high selections Thursday night in Brooklyn. All are 6-foot-10 or taller.

The Phoenix Suns have the No. 1 pick for the first time in franchise history and are expected to take the 7-foot-1 Ayton. They are followed by Sacramento, Atlanta, Memphis and Dallas.

Ayton, a native of the Bahamas, and Bagley were high school teammates for one season at Hillcrest Prep in Arizona.

There has been less emphasis on traditional centers in the NBA in recent years, but most of the top big-men prospects are versatile enough to play outside as well, making this the first time since 2007 that six players 6-10 or taller could go in the top 10.

Bagley III and Michael Porter Jr. believe they are the best players in this draft, though the best they can hope for is probably the No. 2 pick.

The Kings own it, and that’s where the intrigue appears to begin Thursday.

Since Ayton is expected to be taken by the Suns to open the draft, Bagley, Porter, Slovenian guard Luka Doncic or Michigan State’s Jaren Jackson Jr. could be considered by Sacramento.

The Kings have been one of the league’s lowliest franchises, not making the playoffs since 2006. But Bagley and Porter both said they would be open to playing in Sacramento, and getting picked so early would be an accomplishment for Porter after a back injury sidelined him for nearly all of his only season at Missouri.

Bagley thrived in his one season at Duke and doesn’t expect that to change once he’s a pro.

“I want to be the greatest player to ever play the game of basketball, and I mean that in the most humble way possible,” he said. “Not to sound cocky or come off as arrogant, but that’s just the mindset that I have. I always say, if you don’t want to get to that level or be the best, then there’s really no need to play.”

Doncic arrived in the U.S. on Wednesday after helping Real Madrid win the ACB league championship a day earlier. If the Kings don’t select him, he could end up in Atlanta, Memphis or Dallas, who round out the top-five spots.

Other things to know before Thursday’s draft at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center at 5 p.m. on ESPN:

BAHAMAS TO BROOKLYN

Ayton could join 1978 top pick Mychal Thompson — father of Golden State star Klay Thompson — as the only players from the Bahamas to go No. 1.

“It’s just a huge opportunity to show the world that we’re coming. Bahamian people are coming,” Ayton said. “We’re not just only a country of track and field athletes. We can also play basketball.”

If it happens and Doncic follows, it would be the first time the NBA draft started with two international-born players.

TERRIFIC TEAMMATES

Power programs such as Duke (Bagley and Wendell Carter Jr.), Michigan State (Jackson and Miles Bridges), national champion Villanova (Mikal Bridges and Donte DiVincenzo) and Kentucky (Kevin Knox and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) could have multiple players taken in the top 10-15 selections of the two-round draft.

MAKING A MOCKERY

Jackson was on the rise in some mock drafts this spring, though he never noticed. He said he would look at them sometimes when he was a younger fan, but hasn’t had any interest now that his name is in them.

“I think when I was in high school, I probably looked at those mock drafts when they came out and said, ‘Oh snap.’ But as I found out there was like so many people making different ones, I kind of just lost interest in looking at it,” he said. “I kind of just play my game, work on getting better and just wait for that moment. Tomorrow’s the day so there’s no more mocks. It’s going to be the regular draft.”

TURN OFF TWITTER

Porter was frustrated when he felt comments he made in an interview were turned around, quickly learning that life will be different in the NBA.

“I’ll give you an example. Yesterday I get asked, who have you been compared to in the NBA? Who do people compare you to?” Porter said. “And I said, ‘You know, I’ve been compared to KD (Kevin Durant) before. I’ve been compared to Tracy McGrady,’ and then they put it on Twitter, it’s like, Michael Porter says he’s as good as KD and Tracy McGrady. And I’m like come on, bro, I didn’t say that. But at the end of the day, that’s why I try to stay off Twitter.”

STYLE WATCH

Carter wore pants that had a different pattern on each leg to his Wednesday media session and there was some other sparkle in the room, but the best of the style figures to come out, as usual, on draft night.

“All the way from when LeBron had the all-white coming out, the suits are what stand out to me, what they wear,” Young said. “Everybody has a different background and different story on how they got there, but what they’re wearing is what sticks out to me right now.”

And he’s planning to make an NBA first impression.

“Yeah, it’s going to be something fine,” the point guard said. “It’s going to be something crazy.”