JaMychal Green became the latest player to excel in his role with the Denver Nuggets and, as such, he declined his $7.4 million player option to become a free agent, leaving Denver in a bit of a precarious position as, for the second straight year, there was a chance they would see an important role player depart for more money.
Green averaged 8.1 points and 4.8 boards per game for the Nuggets, boasting a strong 46.3/39.9/80.7 shooting split while also providing terrific interior defense. He entered a free agent market fairly rich with veteran wings, but his three-point shooting combined with his defensive versatility in the frontcourt and on the wing meant he was surely going to get some serious looks at mid-level and above deals.
Ultimately, Green chose to come back to Denver on a 2-year deal at the mid-level, bumping his salary up by $2 million per year as Denver keeps an important piece.
Free agent forward JaMychal Green has agreed to a two-year, $17 million deal to return to the Denver Nuggets, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Deal includes player option in Year 2.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 2, 2021
Green joins Will Barton as returners for Denver, as they seem adamant on running it back and hoping for better injury luck next season to see what this group can truly do after making it to the second round without Jamal Murray and others. Green felt like the most likely to get poached of their free agents, and to bring him back has to make Nuggets fans very happy, while other places hoping to maybe add a quality frontcourt player will have to turn attention elsewhere.
