While the Denver Nuggets didn’t make any selections in the 2025 NBA Draft, they did find a way to add some talent immediately afterwards.

According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, the Denver Nuggets are adding Missouri guard Tamar Bates to the roster in the form of a two-way contract.

Bates played for two years at Indiana before transferring to the SEC before his junior season. He finished his college career with two seasons at Missouri, and while the Tigers’ 2023-24 season was difficult, he helped lead the Tigers to the NCAA tournament in his senior year.

Bates averaged 13.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game in 26.0 minutes. He started every game and played a 3&D role next to Mark Mitchell and Caleb Grill, having a very successful season overall.

While the per game numbers don’t jump off the page, the percentages certainly do. Bates, led the entire NCAA in free throw percentage at 94.6%. He also shot 59.1% on two-pointers and 39.7% on three-pointers, a testament to an incredible efficient season. The lower shooting volume is a bit of a concern (just 3.9 three-point attempts per game in a role where he should get up shots on volume) but if he can speed things up, he can be an NBA shooting guard.

Bates had a 29-point game against Kansas early last season that Christian Braun was surely thrilled about. He also had a 26-point win vs Ole Miss. Oh, and Missouri went on the road and beat the eventual National Champion Florida Gators with Bates collecting five steals in the win.

There’s definitely a skill set here, and if the Nuggets are truly in need of shooters, Bates is an intriguing place to start.

After the draft, both front office reps of Jon Wallace and Ben Tenzer emphasized that the Nuggets would possibly bring back some of their own two-way guys, so it’s possible that Bates becomes the only new young player the Nuggets add to the team. If that’s the case, it’s a lot of pressure coming in to make an impression, but also an established group that if Bates does fit in, things could work well.

Last season, two-way contract players Trey Alexander, Spencer Jones, and PJ Hall combined to play about 300 total regular season minutes for the Nuggets. It’s important to have proper expectations for all subsequent two-way players. Here’s hoping to Bates leaving a good impression with Denver and establishing himself at Summer League as a player to watch for the Nuggets next season.