With the NBA Draft less than a month away the Denver Nuggets brought in a group of players to work out this week, including local stars Askia Booker, J.J. Avila and Mitch McCarron, among others.
On Wednesday and Thursday, wearing the Nuggets powder blue practice jerseys, ten players were put through drills and showcased their skills to the Nuggets, hoping to be drafted in June.
“This is a job interview so you can’t be to comfortable,” Booker said to reporters after the workout. “Everybody has to fight for a job and it’s every man for himself.”
Booker finished his four-year career in Boulder in the top ten in points, assists, and steals for the Buffaloes. Booker is the most highly thought of prospect that worked out for the Nuggets this week.
None of the ten prospects is expected to go in the NBA draft but a few could sneak into the second round where the Nuggets will be picking 56th.
J.J. Avila, Daniel Bejarano and Stanton Kidd, all from Colorado State, are fighting to make a summer league team and an opportunity in the NBA D-League.
“If i get my opportunity I’m going to make the most of it with any team, but hopefully the Nuggets,” Avila said. “Whoever gets their chance needs to make the most of it because another guy is chomping at the bit.”
Of the players the Nuggets worked out, the majority were guards, perhaps an indication Ty Lawson is on the way out.
Derek Cooke Jr. (6’9, 220) played center at Wyoming but was being asked to defend against the smaller guards during the workout. Cooke was a multi-sport star and has worked out with the Dolphins in the NFL as well.
Local smaller school players got their chance this week with Cam Griffin and Brett Olson coming from The University of Denver and Mitch McCarron coming from Metro State.
“Coming from a smaller school I feel like I’ve got an underdog mentaility,” Olson said. “I grew up watching them around Denver.”
Most of the players talked about how excited they were to get a chance with a local team they have been watching for years.
“It wasn’t intimidating because I was so excited,” McCarron said. “I want to play professionally and only time will tell.”
The only out of state prospect the Nuggets worked out was Florida guard Michael Frazier II, who also had workouts with Dallas and Philadelphia.
Scott Annis, a Mile High Sports intern and student at Colorado Media School, contributed to this report