Denver Nuggets bring back Mason Plumlee on three-year deal

MIAMI, FL - APRIL 2: Mason Plumlee #24 of the Denver Nuggets handles the ball against the Miami Heat on April 2, 2017 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) /

With the start of the season fast approaching, the Denver Nuggets are bringing back Mason Plumlee on a multi-year deal.

Mason Plumlee was still out there as a restricted free agent, but his options to leave the Denver Nuggets were surely minimal in mid-September. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Nuggets have agreed to a three-year, $41 million deal with Plumlee.

Plumlee could have signed a $4.6 million qualifying offer for the coming season, but the Nuggets have now avoided the possibility of losing him as an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Plumlee was acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers in the trade that sent Jusuf Nurkic the other way near the trade deadline in February. In 27 games for the Nuggets (10 starts), Plumlee averaged 9.1 points, 6.4 rebounds , 2.6 assists and 1.1 blocks per game over 23. 4 minutes per contest. Over four NBA seasons with three teams, Plumlee, has averaged 9.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

Plumlee will function primarily as a backup to center Nikola Jokic for the Nuggets. But Denver has formed a solid group of big men, with Jokic, big free agent signing Paul Millsap and Kenneth Faried also prominent pieces in the rotation. Plumlee may wind up fourth in that pecking order, in terms of actual playing time, but he could see some time as a backup to Millsap too in some lineup configurations from coach Mike Malone.

After finishing 40-42 last season, the Nuggets are looking to make a push for a playoff spot in the typically tough Western Conference. Adding Millsap and his perceived star power was a big step in that direction, and fortifying frontcourt depth with Plumlee looks like a solid move.

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At close to $14 million a year for the next three years, even in this era of inflated NBA salaries, one thing is clear regarding Plumlee and other big guys. It’s good to be nearly seven feet tall with some sort of skill to offer.

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