Report: Nuggets agree to 2-year deal with Darrell Arthur
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The Denver Nuggets have agreed to a two-year deal with unrestricted free agent Darrell Arthur, reports Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post.
Terms remain unclear, but the deal's second year is said to be a player option. The Nuggets renounced their rights to Arthur in mid-July but can get under the cap by waiving Kostas Papanikolaou, which they reportedly plan to do.
Even without getting under the cap, they could offer Arthur up to $2.8 million in the first year using their Room Exception.
While Arthur isn't a household name and has produced modest numbers, he's one of the most intriguing names on the market. The Los Angeles Clippers expressed interest early in free-agency before exploring other options, and it was generally expected Arthur could re-sign in Denver, even if he doesn't fill an immediate need at power forward.
The Nuggets have several intriguing frontcourt players, but Jusuf Nurkic's injury confuses that, and most of their potential weapons at center - where Arthur can perform spot-duty - are unproven.
The 6-foot-9 Arthur is an effective and versatile defender, and every Nuggets big man had a better defensive rating with Arthur than without him last season. Overall, the Nuggets were an incredible 9.6 points per-100 possessions better defensively with the 27-year-old on the court, making up for some of his offensive limitations.
Used primarily as a pick-and-pop weapon on that end, Arthur has struggled to extend his range beyond the 3-point line - he shot 23.6 percent from outside last year - but has proven a weapon from 10-feet out, shooting 43.1 percent on 2-point shots outside that distance.
Arthur averaged 6.6 points and 2.9 rebounds in 17 minutes in 2014-15, roughly in line with his career numbers.